Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

In another coincidence, I have seen my second movie starring Gemma Arterton in as many days. Here, in the awkwardly-titled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, she plays a plucky princess of some vague Middle-Eastern city. That she's as white as the Cliffs of Dover didn't seem to occur to anyone.

That there are no featured actors in this film that look vaguely Persian or Arabic (only Ben Kingsley, who is part Indian, looks right) is not the least of the film's problems. It is based on a video game, and my dictum that there has never been a good movie based on a video game holds true. Prince of Persia, to its credit, is on a higher plane than most, because at least it doesn't look like a video game. Sucker Punch, which is not based on a game, looks like one, to its discredit.

Jake Gyllenhaal is the titular Prince. He's an orphan who is adopted by the king, and grows up to lead an attack on Arterton's city. In a parallel to the modern-day "weapons of mass destruction"-based invasion of Iraq, it turns out that there is a traitor in the royal family and the whole thing was a set up. Gyllenhaal flees for his life, along with Arterton and a magical dagger which can turn back time.

The film looks great, and makes good use of its desert settings. But I found the action scenes boring. Alfred Molina, playing a part that Peter Ustinov specialized in, provides some comic relief. If there is a sequel, I'm unlikely to give it a look.