There's only one word for it - "Fun"

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2010)

The problem with us, as viewers and critics of cinema, is that we demand too much. We want too much, we ask for too much and (ridiculously enough) we demand that we be disturbed by what we view at a fundamental level. The demand for meaningful, noir movies with dark themes has been so great since The Dark Knight that I've grown sick and tired of people whining and nitpicking tiny little threads in the tapestry that forms a movie.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I don't demand much from a movie. There's three things I do ask for though, and justifiably so - solid acting, splendid direction (within which I include cinematography, editing, screenplay and other things to do with guiding the actors and the scenario to make a visually striking scene) and a nice story. I definitely don't go to movies like Prince of Persia expecting a dark, brooding tale filled with passion and gore. The games - at least the ones that I've played - have come close to taking themselves WAY too seriously, but the fact is that they're just loads of fun.
The thing about video games is that we'll always like them better than the movies. It's the human brain - we're conditioned (via video games) to think that WE are in charge. WE control the fate of the main character. WE control his parkour moves. WE control whether he merely flees a fight or engages with the enemy in a brutal hack-and-slash fight. And that's definitely not going to happen in a movie. What we're watching is the vision of another human being - how he/she would play the game. How he/she would watch the story unfold.
Ultimately, I just don't remember having this much FUN watching a movie. It reminded me of times past when we merely used to enjoy a movie instead of demanding it provoke us to feel, sometimes at great expense to the senses a la Hostel. Don't get me wrong. The Prince of Persia does have feeling - it's got solid chemistry between the leads and brilliant acting. (SPOILER: For instance, the scene when Gemma Arterton lets go of Jake Gyllenhal's hand while hanging off a cliff. She doesn't do it with calm serenity or with a smiling face. She screamed, she pleaded and showed a very human vulnerability that is completely atypical of a Hollywood blockbuster). The Prince of Persia also has its fair share of beautiful CGI (yes, I actually love this fascinating new technology) and fan-tribute scenes that hark back to the games. Yet, it holds its own ground in terms of storyline and the direction that the story takes. It explains how Dastaan (Jake Gyllenhal) came to be, and how he chances upon the strange dagger that seems to have some elusive mystic power which in turn alludes to a much more powerful and devastating secret. The scenes in Persia are fantastic and the city the Persians invade (Alamut) looks inviting enough.
However, the film does have its fair share of flaws. The dialogue could do with a lot of work and the film does try to cram everything into the script - from ostrich races to snake attacks in the desert to an assassin's creed style chase. However, the film does have its high points too - the fight between the Sudanese knife thrower and the Hassansin blade-thrower was sheer awesomeness. The camera angles do get a bit frustrating during the parkour scenes, but the parkour does justice to the game so it's all fair.
Either way, Prince of Persia is a fun, fun ride... especially on IMAX. You just have to open your mind and it'll remind you of a long-gone era where fairy tales were just like their namesake - feel-good stories with happy endings that made you wish you were a part of their world rather than the one you live in. Also, Disney might be a tad disappointed if they want this to be the Pirates replacement franchise... mainly because it lacks the main spark that made Pirates tick - an overtly eccentric and humorous character, called Jack Sparrow. While the tax-hating merchant seemed like a cue in to be some sort of Jack Sparrow replacement, his cheesy dialogue completely took the humour out of his short appearance.
PS: As far as the discrimination against Persians is concerned, I'd say the depiction of Persians was fair - they are shown as a civilised empire that while resting on the glory of its conquests, also knows how to show mercy. Again, if you can't get past the obviously Caucasian cast, well... bully for you.