Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Let's get something straight. Just because we are No Bad Movies doesn't mean there aren't ever films that look completely undesirable that I would not lose any sleep over if I never watched said film. That being said, that was my initial impression of Prince of Persia. It was overly marketed, but still never came across as a movie with any substance. After 1 person, who I don't really trust all that much (J), said it wasn't bad, well, that's good enough for me. So after beginning the film at 10 pm on a week night, there was no way I would finish it. Hold the phone! This movie is really good. Not only good, but better than good. First thing I noticed was the stunts. What I liked about these stunts is the feasibility of them. Any human in prime physical condition with good muscular build could do most of the stunts Gyllenhaal pulls off. I'm not saying I could do them.....but I could. Gyllenhaal plays Dastan. A man who gets the privilege to grow up as a Prince without actually having any royal blood lines. He is adopted as a young mischievous boy, and never looks back. He loves is family and his brothers. Nothing is more important to him than that. He is brave and courageous and has no issues with taking orders from his brothers in the time of battle. Ben Kingsley showed up as his Uncle and the brother of the King. Disney should have promoted that. I didn't realize he was in it at all, and his name alone adds a bit of appeal to anything he does. Dastan is soon framed for killing his father, and is soon the target of the entire Persian army. Led by his oldest brother and now current King, Dastan is not safe anywhere. Fortunately he has recently found a dagger with mystical powers. When the sand inside the dagger is released, the holder of said dagger is able to go back in time to relive the situation over again. It takes him 3 trips the first time to not be outsmarted by his prisoner which spans all of 45 seconds. Now he begins to wonder how far back he could go, and if he could prevent his Fathers murder. The movie is extremely fun, way better than I could have ever imagined, and I am glad I watched it. Jake Gyllenhaal might not have been my first choice as a Persian, but he did well. I don't claim to be an expert on the Persian language, but I'm pretty sure it's not English based, accented with some sort of British/New Zealand twang. One thing is for sure, he proves he is a good actor, because he was able to consistently speak with the same accent throughout the entirety of the film. When something, especially a language form, is invented it would be hard to never falter, but he seemed rather strong and I commend him for it. Also look for Alfred Molina to provide some comic relief based on Ostriches and Taxes. It'll make sense. Trust me.

NBM rates Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Awesome

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