Review:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Did you enjoy Jerry Bruckheimer's Pirates of the Caribbean? Do you have a strong affinity for arid environments that may, or may not involve large sand dunes? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a sure cinematic bet for you this summer.

I recently attended a sneak-preview in Cherry Hill New Jersey, and found myself leaving the theater surprisingly satisfied. Bruckheimer continues his strong tradition of family-friendly action-adventure films with this latest offering, based on the video game series released by Ubisoft. Everything that you love about these summer blockbusters was present; enjoyable CGI special effects, well choreographed action sequences (that mimicked the feel of the video game physics quite perfectly), a generic love story, and finally a healthy dose of warm-fuzzy Disney moral-of-the-story moments.

As long as you're the kind of person that can let go for two hours and let a story unfold without need for thought-provoking morality play, or a life-changing presentation of a social agenda, then you will find few faults in this flick.

Jake Gyllenhaal's widely publicized bulk-up for the movie produced impressive results. The title star displayed an impressive physique for the role, if not an ethnically accurate complexion for the region. This was, by far, the primary complaint I heard among the movie-goers that night. While it's true that an accurate portrayal of Persians from this time period would include an extreme paucity of Caucasian actors, most people aren't looking for an accurate historical account from this film. It is for this reason that I am willing to suspend disbelief for our westernized actors, and usage of terms like "Tuesday."

The Prince in question spends much of the movie vaulting over walls and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, dazzling the audience with acrobatic feats that would make a Barnum and Bailey tumbler jealous. Ben Kingsley does not disappoint as the foreboding, dark Uncle of Jake Gyllenhaal's character, casting a proper (if expected) relationship of good and evil. Jake's character's love interest, played by Gemma Arterton, provides a strong, likable female lead to balance out the testosterone that runs through the movie.

This is Disney's second PG-13 film after the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and it takes a second step in what this author can only hope is a long, successful line of exciting movies of the CGI-era that at least most of the family can watch.