The Best of Everything Else

Rating: 7/10 (24 June 2010)

Sword-and-sorcery films can be divided into two categories. There's Peter Jackson's masterly "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. And then there's everything else, a category which contains some of the cheesiest movies ever made, such as "Conan the Barbarian", "Red Sonja" and the more recent "The Scorpion King". Even the better films in this category, such as Ron Howard's "Willow", achieve little distinction other than that of being mediocre films rather than truly bad ones.
With "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" producer Jerry Bruckheimer, king of the effects-laden blockbuster, turns his hand to sword-and-sorcery (although there were elements of this genre in some of his earlier films, such as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise). The film is supposedly set in the pre-Islamic Persian Empire, although there is little concern for historical accuracy; it would perhaps be truer to say that the action takes place in an Arabian Nights fairy-tale world. It was directed by Mike Newell, clearly a versatile director; I know him best for "Four Weddings and a Funeral".
The title character is Prince Dastan, an orphan adopted as a son by the King of Persia. Fifteen years later Dastan and his two foster brothers, the King's own sons, are leading the royal army against the city of Alamut, which they suspect of selling weapons to Persia's enemies. (The real Alamut is in Iran itself, although here its architecture suggests somewhere in India). Dastan leads the assault on the city, which falls to the Persians who capture its ruler, the Princess Tamina. Despite extensive searches, however, the supposed weapons are not to be found. (The phrase "weapons of mass destruction" is never actually used in the film, although I did wonder if there was an intention to satirise President Bush's war in Iraq).
The plot, as it develops from this point, becomes very complex, but it concerns a plot to murder the King and seize power, a mystical dagger with the power to turn back time, and a growing romance between Dastan and Tamina, who alone are able to thwart the villains' evil schemes.
The film is, apparently, based on a video game. Now what I know about video games could be written on the back of a very small envelope, but I do know that films based on them are generally rubbish, so I did not have any very high hopes of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time". Rather surprisingly, I found it considerably better than any sword-and-sorcery film based on a video game has any right to be.
There is a better attempt at characterisation than is normal in films of this type. Jake Gyllenhaal as the hero Dastan has his tongue just far enough into his cheek to avoid any accusation that he is taking himself too seriously, although not so far that he loses all credibility. Gemma Arterton, as the lovely Tamina, makes a suitably feisty, if sometimes arrogant, heroine, showing that there is sometimes life after Bond. (Gemma played Strawberry Fields in the most recent, none-too-successful, Bond title "Quantum of Solace"). Ben Kingsley makes a splendidly hypocritical villain, although I could, perhaps, have done without Alfred Molina's curiously 21st century comic relief, a dodgy small businessman forever whingeing about his tax burden.
The story, although complicated, is never too complicated to understand, and Newell keeps the action moving along at a good pace. Those looking for an enjoyable family adventure story could do a lot worse than "Prince of Persia". It lacks the silliness which has marred so many other sword-and-sorcery sagas. Certainly, there is nothing very deep about it and it is a long way from being "Lord of the Rings". Nevertheless, it might just be the best of everything else. 7/10