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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Review
18 May 2010
Critics rating: 3 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Jennifer Trevorrow , LOVEFiLM
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Jake Gyllenhaal throws down the gauntlet to Johnny Depp as Disney's latest swash-buckling hero.

With a fourth film due in May 2011, producer Jerry Bruckheimer is squeezing all he can get out of the Pirates franchise, while also moving onto pastures new. Choppy waters have been replaced by a sea of sand, and it’s Princes and Persians this time, not Pirates; but the sword-wielding remains firmly intact.

Cast details

An adaptation of the video game of the same name, Prince of Persia sees Jake Gyllenhaal play rogue Prince Dastan, not of royal blood but adopted by King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) after a courageous act in his youth. Years later, Dastan is framed and flees the palace, with Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) in tow, and his Uncle Nazim (Sir Ben Kingsley) and two Royal brothers (Toby Kebbell and Richard Coyle) in pursuit. Tamina, it turns out, is carrying a mystical dagger that turns back time, and from here on in it’s a classic cat-and-mouse affair, with a few ostriches thrown in for good measure. Yep, ostriches.

Director Mike Newell delivers some spectacular special effects and impressive action sequences, but it’s nothing especially new. The story is simple and punchy and will sit well with younger audiences; there’s a flash of chemistry between Jake and Gemma, whose bickering is mildly amusing; but the writers’ attempts to hot things up only leads to a frustrating set of flirtatious face-offs, which become quickly tiresome. 

Jordan Mechner, writer of the original video game, was brought on board to create a credible adaptation, and has declared the film more a crafted version of certain characteristics of the game, rather than a beat-by-beat transfer. Since game fans tend to be a film's biggest critics, this may prove to be a very canny move by the film-makers.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal's British accent is sound enough, and he manages to stand his ground in scenes alongside acting royalty Sir Ben Kingsley. No mean feat either, given that the acting muscles which earnt him an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain play second string here to his physical prowess – which is undoubtedly pleasing on the eye.

Gemma Arterton’s recent roles (The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Clash of the Titans, Tamara Drewe) have showcased her range as an actress, and although this is a fair performance, she flip-flops between appearing feisty and independent in one scene, and the damsel in distress in the next.

There's plenty of fun for all the family

Johnny Depp & co needn’t worry just yet, because PoP doesn’t begin to stack up against Disney’s other flamboyant franchise. But as an action-adventure, packed full of CGI and high-speed chase scenes, there’s plenty of fun for all the family.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Reviews

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LOVEFiLM Review Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

  • 3 stars out of 5  

    By Jennifer Trevorrow from LOVEFiLM

    Jake Gyllenhaal buffs up for the film adaptation of the Prince of Persia game.

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Most helpful review Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

  • the film is just like the game !!

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By williamsgwynfa (627 reviews) from gwaenysgor , 04 Nov 2009

    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    This Walt Disney film is based on the 2003 video game of the same name and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, Gemma Arterton as Tamina, Ben Kingsley as Nizam and Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar who is a mentor to the Prince.

    Prince Dastan (played by Jake Gyllenhaal of Brokeback Mountain fame) is a street urchin in 6th century Persia.

    After showing valour in battle, he is adopted by the king as his heir, so the king's two sons will not fight over the throne.

    He teams up with Princess Tamina (played by Gemma Arterton from St Trinian's) to rescue the Sands of Time.

    The Sands Of Time is a gift from the gods that controls time, they set out on the quest to take this gift from the hands of the villainous nobleman, Nizam (played by Ben Kingsley from Thunderbirds and Ghandi fame).

    Well worth adding to your wanted list.
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(454)

  • Great mix of fantasy, humour, and romance

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By Raki11 (17 reviews) , 01 May 2013
    I really enjoyed this film. It was well made, with an excellent mix of fantasy, humour, drama, and romance. Great acting and nice special effects. It's not dark fantasy like Game of Thrones, so it's suitable for a younger audience, but it's also good if you're an adult and you want a break from 'dark'. I was afraid it might have been too kiddy for my partner, who doesn't like children's movies, but he enjoyed it too.
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  • Empty Sand Pit

    Rated - 1.5 stars  
    By Routemaster (87 reviews) from Cambridge , 24 Apr 2013
    Typical Disney film - this time based on a video game of the same name. Dastan (Gyllenhaal) a street urchin becomes a prince after he is adopted by the king who sees him fight in battle. Previously, (Disney world) the gods sent a gift of a dagger which is capable of reversing time (sands of time) and allowing the possessor to rule the world; so the race is on to locate the dagger before Nizam (Kingsley) can use it. This would be a good film for a young family.
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  • A pleasant surprise

    Rated - 3.5 stars  
    By Steeleye (8 reviews) , 03 Mar 2013
    If you want a fun film which doesn't take itself too seriously, then this is a good saturday night choice - some fun action and good repartee between the two leads - reminded me a bit of the mummy in this sense.
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  • Not happening!!!

    Rated - 1.5 stars  
    By a customer , 01 Mar 2013
    I did not enjoy this film at all. Heavy going! Nothing like Game of Thrones which had the whole caboodle! Brilliant acting and actors. Ben Kingsley in this film did not come over as well as he might have done.
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  • Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones

    Rated - 3.5 stars  
    By a customer , 13 Jan 2013
    A mix of lots of films and storylines - Indiana Jones, Harry Potter time travel, amusement, secret sects, goodies and baddies, love interest. Haven't played the game but the film was quite watchable - impressed by Jake G (although the acrobatic fight sequences were a bit OTT and obviously not him personally!) and of course, Gemma Arterton is simply sex-appeal personified.
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