Another failed video game movie.

Rating: 5/10 (10 January 2011)

Prince of Persia is filled with epic scenery and exciting action sequences, wrapped in a mediocre story and second-rate acting. I'm not really surprised by this, I have yet to see a movie based on a video game that was anything better. Disney was obviously looking for another Pirates of the Caribbean but fell well short.
Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) was a poor orphan kid that was adopted by the King of Persia who grew up to become one of three Princes of Persia. Dastan and his brothers are tricked into attacking a holy city so that the villain can take a magical dagger and use it to rewrite history. The dagger has a very video game feel to it, you can use it to go back in time a few moments to correct a mistake, but the supply of sand contained in the hilt of the dagger is limited and it can only be used a few times before it needs to be refilled. After the dagger is discovered the rest of the movie centers around everyone and their brother trying to get it for themselves, with a great deal of clunky dialog explaining the properties of the dagger and the grand master plan of the villain.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time isn't a terrible movie, but it's not that great either. The action and special effects are very well done, but the characters and plot leave something to be desired. The reason Pirates of the Caribbean was such an entertaining film was due almost entirely to the superb cast, thrust into what was essentially a b-movie with expensive special effects to back them up. Prince of Persia has the same b-movie feel to it as well as the expansive effects budget, but without a superior cast to bring the second-rate script to life the movie fails to truly come to life.