Rob Vaux

(2012-04-30 22:49:03)

Like a lot of summer popcorn, it thinks it's a lot more fun than it is.

Shankru_Spam_Begone

(2012-04-30 18:02:03)

A full diaper-load.

Horrible. Trust the star ratings if you don't want to trust my review.I thought it would be like 'Arabian Nights'. In the concept stage itcould have been. Simply put, the whole thing from opening to creditslooks like one long acid trip. Based on what I've heard, of course (theacid thing). If I could run a film of someone's disjointed dream ofArabia, desert, devil and lost man, and abstract lost love - this iswhat it would look like. Fantasy is only enjoyable when imposed on aframework of the human condition. There were only abstractsrepresentations of humanity in the story of this production. The'dialogue' is reflective of this. 'Urgently' whispered thoughts were asdominant as the little actual speech in the movie. It becomes laughablevery quickly. I fast forwarded through most of it. Confirmed that theending was unsatisfying. Left in the middle of nowhere - literally.There was actually one real, albeit short, sword fight scene. That wasthe only touch of realism that I could see. I do feel bad doing such ahatchet job on a production someone(s) obviously thought was good. I'mjust 'saying it like I see it'. If there would have been a review likethis when I was browsing, I would have taken the ratings more seriouslyand not have rented this.

matthew DIAZ

(2012-04-29 00:13:48)

prince of Persia movie review

This movie was a good remake of a video game but when this movie openedi was more in too my pop corn then the movie. But the movie progressedthe fight scenes were amazing and the acting was spot on. But my bigproblem was that the camera movements were amazing and some points hurtmy head. The fighting could have been a little bit more in the timeperiod but as far as weapons it was spot on. Costuming was a big rolein this movie and i think they were almost perfect there were thing iwould think they could add but they were good no matter what. Thecomedy part of this movie were very funny and were sometimes for somepeople hard to understand but were funny no matter what. As well theprince and princess were great working with each other. But all in allthe actors and actress were outstanding and i would recommend thismovie to any one its funny and amazing. This is a 8 out of 10 movie sogo see it. -matt

Luke Y. Thompson

(2012-04-28 05:04:02)

For all the talk of parkour, we never once feel the true tension of someone on a high wall taking death-defying chances. Even Disney's animated Aladdin seemed to be in more danger.

(2012-04-27 01:11:04)

Rousing fun with grandson (age 7)

This review is from: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (DVD) This is a great action film suitable for children 7 and older. Its sense of morality is fine, and the principals keep you drawn in to the drama. My grandson could watch it over and over, and I enjoy it as well. Grandmother

Roger Ebert

(2012-04-26 11:49:40)

The two leads are not inspired. Jake Gyllenhaal could make the cover of a muscle mag, but he plays Dastan as if harboring Spider-Man's doubts and insecurities. I recall Gemma Arterton as resembling a gorgeous still photo in a cosmetics ad.

(2012-04-24 07:06:22)

Entertaining

Don't let the mediocre reviews and underperformance at the box office fool you. This movie is worth checking out. I have played all three games (numerous times) and I actually was surprised at how much I liked the big screen adaptation. It's a good popcorn movie, that's for sure.

lewiskendell

(2012-04-24 00:23:29)

You won't be blown away, but you'll probably enjoy yourself a bit.

"But perhaps there was something else at work that day, somethingbeyond simple understanding. The day a boy from the unlikeliest ofplaces became a prince of Persia."When a video game movie meets a big summer event movie, it's notunreasonable to expect a disaster to result. Prince of Persia isn't adisaster, thankfully, but it also doesn't go beyond disposableentertainment. I won't go much into the plot, because there's not much of a plot to gointo. Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) was a lowly street urchin who wasadopted into the royal family of Persia as a child after performing aheroic deed before the king. After he's framed for the death of hisadopted father, he goes on the run with a princess of a conquered cityto keep a magical dagger out of the hands of those who set him up.Along the way, there's ostrich racing. sword fights, and lots and lotsof sand.Prince of Persia is at its best during the numerous fun actionsequences, which include lots of the impressive feats of free running,climbing, and acrobatics that make the games so popular. It never quiteachieves the sense of epicness that it occasionally reaches for, andthere's really no memorable parts that stick out after the movie isdone. Which means no real reason to watch it again after the firstviewing. As for the cast, I thought they were okay. This wasn't a movie that wasexactly demanding when it came to acting, but everyone did what theycould with the merely adequate writing. The special effects weredecent, the sand-swept vistas were eye- catching, and there weren't anyhuge flaws to point out...but there wasn't anything that the movie didparticularly well, either. Prince of Persia is worth watching one timeif you just want some mindless entertainment for a few hours, but don'texpect the charm and excitement of the first Pirates of the Caribbeanmovie (which Bruckheimer was obviously going for).

ajfdomingo

(2012-04-22 07:02:06)

In the Disney Tradition

If you were expecting to see an original story, fantasy film thenPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time is not for you. On the other hand,if you were looking for a highly visual and fun film then in general,you probably will enjoy this film. Prince of Persia keeps the audienceinterested with lots of action and fight sequences. In fact, if youtook those out you would be left with just about half of the film. Thismuch I can say about the fight sequences, they are well choreographedand incorporate CGI effects very well. The special effects do notoverwhelm the excitement of the sword and fist fights. Prince of Persiafeels and looks very much like a Disney film with a lot of attentionbeing paid to the aesthetic qualities of the finished product coupledwith the requisite Hollywood type ending.

Slaphappy

(2012-04-21 14:06:05)

Worth seeing on the BIG screen

Not perfect by any stretch but the movie has its merits. Good acting and wonderful visuals. I'm glad I saw this on the big screen. Certainly worth the cost of admission. I was concerned the movie was either going to be cheesy or over the top. It wasn't in my opinion. I enjoyed it. If your not a critic wannabe, you should too.

Mahmoud_Buttrumps

(2012-04-09 02:20:48)

Sadly, How History Becomes A Lie

The rating is most for the outstanding visuals that take over theentire movie. Apart from the dodgy special effects, there is nothingelse that I can state that is good about the movie. it remindes meGeorgian brave king and if it is possible i would like to take look atthis message it would be very good if someone(director) would film amovie about Georgia(it's a country not U.S.A.). we had very bravepeople in V century. please take this message on your mind we had aking named "VAKHTANG GORGASALI" who was 240 Sim tall!!! he was verystrong and when he was hitting sword to enemy he was slashed by twoside with the horse.It is not a legend it is true. IT WOULD BE GREAT "A FILM ABOUT GEORGIANKING VAKHTANG GORGASALI".It is a proved scholarly fact that the Persian Empire in 480 B.C wasthe most significent and civilized empire. Established by the Cyrus thegreat, the writer of the first human right declaration, Persians ruledover significant portions of Greater Iran, the east modern Afghanistanand beyond into central Asia; in the north and west all of Asia Minor(modern Turkey), the upper Balkans peninsula (Thrace), and most of theBlack Sea coastal regions; in the west and southwest the territories ofmodern Iraq, northern Saudi-Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, allsignificant population centers of ancient Egypt and as far west asportions of Libya. Having twenty nations under control, encompassingapproximately 7.5 million square kilometers, unquestionably theAchaemenid Empire was territorially the largest empire of classicalantiquity.Based on the Zoroastrian doctrine, it was the strong emphasis onhonesty and integrity that gave the ancient Persians credibility torule the world, even in the eyes of the people belonging to theconquered nations (Herodotus, mid 5th century B.C). Truth for the sakeof truth, was the universal motto and the very core of the Persianculture that was followed not only by the great kings, but even theordinary Persians made it a point to adhere to this code of conduct.We did not expect Pinewoods Picture company, as one of the world'slargest producers of film and television entertainment to ignore theproved obvious historical facts, and damage its own reputation byshowing the Persian army at the battle of Thermopylae as some freakedout savages, and thus create an atmosphere of public mistrust in itscontent, and hurt the national pride of the millions of Persians whiledoing so.While announcing our disgust at such a heresy, we demand an immediatehistorical review and quick apology from the responsible people. Ithink its not a movie but a PC game for teenagers full of savagenessand bloodshed. All i saw was fake. Nothing but disrespect the ancienthistory and Persian culture and value killing ,slaughtering andmurdering as it's prize.

SkovPudhandle

(2012-04-08 18:04:50)

We're off to see the cheik the wonder cheik of Abu Dhabi

As a Middle Easterner who left the highly conservative country of SaudiArabia seeking freedom, I really hoped that this film would tastefullydraw attention on some important issues like human law violations whenit comes to freedom of speech not freedom to be lame as hell. I thoughtmaybe Dastan will get in some trouble for writing a piece on some ofthe outdated traditions of the Arabian Gulf. King, however preferred togive the platform to Samantha to do all of the 'oh no they didn't' forthem.I love the series and I liked this film because we needed realclosure. However, they seem to have ran out of idea's and decided toturn to fiction rather than what the show has always been about whichwas reality and human relations. This film lacks a lot of research whenit comes to UAE and the Arabian Gulf. Facts are misrepresented andalthough they did reveal some realities, the film reminded me ofAladdin the animated film where they embark on their riffraff journey.Forced adventure and negligence to find the line between provocativeand distasteful.**SPOILER** One thing that really disturbed me was the scene whereCheik Amar tells Dastan that he's using his Jewish name. Dastan askshim why and he quickly replies repetitively "we're in the Middle East"but then he reaffirms that UAE is the "New Middle East".Now thiswould've been a wonderful message to send out if it wasn't for theignorance of the writers. The UAE and most gulf countries do not objectto the entry of Jews in their countries but they do object to the entryof Israelis due the political problems between Israel and most Arabcountries. Dastan's response to Cheik would've been an ever greater oneif he did not end the trip by saying "new Middle East my a$$" . Iponder as to what was the intention of the whole new ME thing to beginwith? If the sexy new Persians with their English accents are there tobreak stereotypes or reinforce them ? This film lacked a sense ofreality and lacked a lot of research.I give it a 4/10. I loved seeing my homeland again but I'm afraid theBrucken Meister have gone too fictional for my taste.

Joshua Starnes

(2012-04-08 03:57:54)

Someday someone is going to make a great film from a video game. Until then we have to be satisfied with being decently entertained without being hopelessly insulted. Prince of Persia manages to avoid doing either, so the wait continues.

(2012-04-07 11:04:36)

"Like sands through the hourglass . . . "

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME is a Disney film based on a video game. That puts it in the same genre as THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, which is a much better film. Jake Gyllenhall (Prince Dastan) tries very hard to carry it off. A one-time street urchin, he has been adopted by the Persian Emperor and raised alongside the princes of the blood. When the expansionist Persian army comes to the holy city of Alamut, they are forbidden to lay siege to it, but the Emperor's brother Nizam (Ben Kingsley) orders the city attacked anyway, and its riches despoiled. Among these riches are Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is the high priestess of the Alamut cult, and a dagger which has the ability to turn back time. Nizam wishes to use it for his own greedy ends. It becomes Dastan's task to stop Nizam. Loaded with intricate, fantastical Middle Eastern settings, a good storyline, and the action that is Jerry Bruckheimer's trademark, PRINCE OF PERSIA certainly holds the viewer's attention. The weakness of this film is the casting. Gyllenhaal's Dastan is credible, but lacks the wit of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, and is short on the action hero chops of Orlando Bloom's Will Turner. Gemma Arterton, who has an impressive resume, is very pretty as the Arabian princess, but her character's personality and behavior veer wildly between the Sixth Century BCE and the 21st Century CE; one minute she is the retiring and devout priestess, while the next minute she might be shouting, "Let's go Mets!" and spilling beer on herself at a ballgame. Ben Kingsley isn't at all convincing as the evil Nizam, who starts out as the Princes' kindly Uncle. He seems to want to stay in that groove.Still, this is a good film to share with the family.

Royce_Alvacura

(2012-04-01 03:01:16)

It's up there is one of the biggest flops of all time.

As soon as I heard Gyllenhaal was put in the role as the Prince ofPersia, I was excited as he has performed brilliantly in many seriousdramas, but apprehensive because this was suppose to be an all actionDisney film.... Oh yes I was right to be worried, this was utter trite,Gyllenhaal and Price of Persia have been Disney-fide (in a bad way)Gyllenhaal just relies on his wit and good looks (of which I was kindof put off by his long, greasy hair) and there is no depth to hisdialogue, his English accent reminded me at times of Dick Van Dyke inMary Poppins.The funniest parts were unintentional for example when Princess Taminawho one of the 'worlds beauty' unmasks herself to the soldiers and theyall stop and gasp in amazement...yeah she is pretty but not THAT much.This therefore added to the very unrealistic plot and at times I felt Iwas being spoon-fed information which was not needed; 'THEREFORE THEDAGGER USES SAND TO TURN BACK TIME!?', such information made theexperience of watching very tiring and as for action, when iteventually comes, it had been so overly CGI'd that there is barely noactual on location stunts, very disappointing. This is up there withsome of the biggest flops of all time, please do not make a sequel.

jgdigre

(2012-03-31 16:05:15)

Have I told you about sucky endings?

I have a deep respect for this franchise. The original Prince of Persiais one of the first games I played on the PC back when I was 6-7 yearsold. Great game. As time went on, I played the game trilogy this movieis "based on". Great games too.Despite that, I watched this movie with very low expectations. I mean,it's a video game movie! But I really enjoyed it. The story is fine,the acting is good, the action sequences are nice and it has a bit ofhumor too. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the princeand the princess. And Alfred Molina always delivers.The only thing that really disappointed me was the ending: I expectedanother twist involving time travel. Not just undoing everything thathappened in the movie! That sucks.It's not a great movie, but I still recommend it for what it is.

akram-ali-112

(2012-03-31 00:40:34)

An action experience that true Prince of Persia fans dreamed of.....

I am writing this review about a few hours after watching themovie.....POPSOT is the game to film adaptation that breaks the myth that suchadaptations are awful and spoil the reputation of the game. The moviestays true to its source material as much as possible whileincorporating elements that would induce a movie-goer to sit in hisseat. The following review is from the point of not just a movie goerbut also as one who enjoyed the Sands of Time game trilogy and remainsa fan of the Prince...The plot has remained true to the original game as far as possible witha few name changes here and there. What struck me the most was how theymanaged to retain the Prince's sarcastic and daredevilry nature that weall loved in the first game and were sorry to see leave in the second.Jake Gyllenhall has portrayed the Prince to near perfection in bothbody and mind. Gemma Arterton has provided good company to him as thePrincess Tamina (Farah in the game) and looks enchanting enough to liveup to the reputation of a beautiful princess. Ben Kingsley, on theother hand seems to have been wasted in the movie. The role given tohim does not live up to his talents. Alfred Molina provides the comicrelief of the movie that is not already been given by Gyllenhall andArterton. The stunts have been done magnificently and are reminiscentof the 2008 spin-off as well as Assassin's Creed. The CGI are equallybrilliant with the time reversal power done magnificently. Thecamera-work is the highlight of the movie, capturing beautiful vistasof Ancient Persia. Overall, if you are a Prince of Persia fan, who has played the gameslike me, you will hold this one close to your heart. However if you arejust a regular movie-goer with no idea of what this movie holds, thenit might take you a second viewing to actually understand the story andget the spirit of the plot. VERDICT: Brilliant adaptation! Makes youreminiscent of the game, and makes you want to play it!

The_Sultan_of_Hades

(2012-03-30 11:55:00)

Braindead

Another loud, brainless CGI summer flick to dull the senses. I realizethat people want to shut off their brains during the summer holidays,but this is ridiculous. The fact that Jake Gyllenhal was cast as a'Persion Prince' makes it obvious from the beginning, that this isnothing to be taken seriously. In fact, ALL the leads were white, inthis very Arabic tale. I wonder why.. Strangely enough the the extrasstanding in the background all looked very Arabic/middle Eastern. Theywere being used as props it would seem. Anyone who doesn't feel liketheir intelligence is being insulted needs to pay a bit more attention.The story itself is lame and mind-numbingly repetitive, kind of like avideo game. Oh yeah, this WAS based on a video game... and it shows;The whole film deals with people stealing a magical dagger from theother side, just to have it taken back again. The corrupt royal familysteals the dagger from the Rogue (White) Prince, who looks like asurfer who wandered onto the set of "The Arabian Nights." Gyllenhalgets angry and he and his Princess, who looks a bit like Xena WarriorPrincess, (really mid eastern looking too, huh.. especially with herfreckles) take the dagger back. They exchange some witty (by idiotstandards) banter before they are set upon again by the evil royals.The whole film goes on like this, and it is as enjoyable as watchingsomeone else play a video game. I find it amazing that the same peoplewho criticized "The Last Airbender" actually like this tripe;'Airbender' looks like "Lawrence of Arabia" compared to this; it is amuch better film, actually. The most unfortunate thing about "Prince ofPersia" is that it had real potential. The score was quite beautiful,and the costumes and set design were very good, (although not as greatas "The Last Airbender." It seems Disney was afraid that if they castreal Middle Eastern types for the leads then this thing would not havehad success. The sad thing is, they might be right. And the film couldnot be more inaccurate, historically; people swilling wine while twofeet away women are wearing veils. Is this before the existence ofIslam, or after? How come some women (in the background of course) mustwear veils, while other women can walk around half naked, looking likeLas Vegas showgirls? In the 30's and 40's, Hollywood would paint whitepeople's skin, to pass them off as Asian, or Negro. It is sad that wehaven't come very far, 80 years later. Maybe Hollywood doesn't realizethat Asian actors do exist; they aren't all working in kitchen's ordealing drugs. But if you go into this noisy, tacky film, with theknowledge that it is based on a video game, then you shouldn't be toodisappointed. set your standards low, just be glad that it isn't in3-D.

Matt Bochenski

(2012-03-27 22:05:02)

Yet another example of the criminal recidivism of the American blockbuster. When will they learn? When will we?

SunnyWestCoast

(2012-03-27 07:49:34)

Another Jewel from Jerry Bruckheimer's Showcase

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another jewel from JerryBruckheimer's production company. If you enjoyed Pirates of theCaribbean, National Treasure, Deja Vu, or the rom-com Confessions of aShopaholic, you'll love this movie. There is enough action in thismovie to satisfy the men, and enough romance to satisfy the women. The characters are unique and lovable. The quirky businessentrepreneur, Sheik Almar(Alfred Molina), adds a comedic addition toPrice of Persia. When I saw the movie Saturday night, the entireaudience burst in laughter at his witty humor. The knife thrower,Seso(Steve Toussaint) is an interesting addition. Dastan's uncle, Nizam(Ben Kingsley) is powerful and intense in the scenes he is in. Theback- flipping champion, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), isn't a typicalprince. The feisty princess, Tamina (Gemma Arterton), is not what sheappears to be.The plot is simple, but the twists are unexpected. Often I thoughtsomething was going to happen, but I was wrong in each case. If you'venever played the Prince of Persia games like me, you'll love theunexpected events in this movie.The sets are delicious eye candy. The buildings of Morocco areintricate, and most extras authentic to the region. The animals, flyingknives, and objects in the film looked real. Although I knew there werespecial effects for safety reasons, but I could not tell thedifference. Hundreds, if not a thousand, people worked on the specialand visual effects.The action, editing, and camera-work was fast and fantastic. 105 stuntdoubles, stunt performers, and coordinators worked on Prince of Persia.There were thousands of different camera shots. Within a single actionscene there was a shot on the ground, one above, one on the side, oneon the face, all seconds long. Being a novice camera operator, I was inawe. This movie was difficult to create.There are few cons to Prince of Persia. The plot is simple, but it isentertaining. Not all was authentic, but it is not a documentary. Isuggest you add it to your list of movies to watch, as it is well-madeand the actors are brilliant. You'll be on the edge of your seat.