Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, directed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire helmsman Mike Newell, is the film adaptation of a video game series as old as Mario. This film takes more from the 2003 series reboot for the PS2 and Xbox, in which the prince runs, leaps, and shimmies, a la Lara Croft, but with a dagger that can reverse time, effectively acting as a rewind and redo button for those missed jumps and pitfalls.
Turning this once unique gaming device into the nucleus of a plot involving an ancient creation myth, Newell’s experience in directing multiple episodes of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones shines brightly in this otherwise rote adaptation.
The Persian Prince Dastan, though played by a miscast (white) Jake Gyllenhaal, was adopted as an orphan by the king. Dastan grows to become a great warrior and brother to the future king. When he is framed for his father’s murder, a rival princess aids him in his escape and quest to clear his name. He and Princess Tamina (Aterton) flirt and fight and keep it light as circumstances make them reluctantly reliant on one another. Along the way they encounter Alfred Molina and his ostriches, adding that extra touch of whimsy to the kick n’ kiss relationship that’s been done ad nauseam, but the script and direction keep it classic and enjoyable, making even Gyllenhaal’s anachronous Scott Stapp hair and gross attempt at a British accent bearable for near two hours.
But about that casting. It’s not called Prince of Peoria (though that I’d see), and as such, all the characters are supposed to be Persian/Arabian. Yet most every cast member is white and British! Except for Gyllenhaal, however, who is not a Brit, this somehow works, conceivably being in keeping with the “classic adventure” aesthetic set by the epics of the mid-20th Century where everyone in ancient times speaks with a British accent. Also in keeping with the classics is the grand spectacle of the costumes and sets. When it’s not trying to dazzle with the gaudy CGI, this mere game adaptation is actually quite stunning, and as Gyllenhaal pulls superfluous Parkour stunts at every turn, I couldn’t help but get lost in the adventure and marvel at the world around him.
