Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

With the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise getting stale, Bruckheimer and Disney have turned to a new project (No disrespect to National Treasure, but it's weak). This potential series is about an orphaned Persian adopted by the King named Dastan who must protect a mystical dagger with the power to turn back time. The first problem is Jake Gyllenhaal. His doe-eyed Caucasian look seems somewhat out of place, and coupled with the unrefined attempt at a British accent just makes him the wrong choice for the role. Maybe I am being too picky, but one of his brothers is more Greek while another is all Scandinavian, so I guess the attention to geographic consistency in casting is a conscious oversight. I will say that Jake bulked up his physique considerably, and that feat in itself is impressive to say the least.

Ben Kingsley looks like the reincarnation of Flash Gordon's nemesis and does his best to make it appear that he isn't trying very hard. Gemma Arterton plays the princess convincingly, but it's hard to keep the redhead images of her as James Bond's tart, Strawberry Fields out of my mind. The chemistry is deflated by the ambiguous direction of their romance, and Jake's laughable accent.

The effects were secondary to impressive stunt work, and the time shifting sequences were less original as they were annoying. A sixty second reverse is all it takes to avert certain death, a poisonous snake attack, and to prove the powers of aforementioned magical dagger. The climax takes us back to the beginning of the film where the evil plot can be foiled by Gyllenhaal and his newly acquired knowledge. It's a pretty linear story without much imagination or originality.

I am easily excited by summer blockbusters and Oscar dramas alike, and to be honest, this film caused me to doze off a little due to the slow moving plot and the boring characters.

The one high point was the use of assassins and their trickery with projectile weapons. There were some cool fight sequences but the overall action factor was low. I typically like Jake Gyllenhaal, but to be honest, he is no action star. Stick to the Independent dramas and more serious fare.

I am ready for the summer season, and Iron Man 2 was impressive, but I'll wait until A-Team for the next potential source of entertainment. 6/10.