Film And DVD Reviews by Phil Boatwright

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina. Disney Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer films. Action adventure. Written by Doug Miro & Carlo Bernard. Directed by Mike Newell. 5/28/10

FILM SYNOPSIS: Set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhall) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton), and together they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

REVIEW: Action fueled, this adventure/fantasy is reminiscent of the Indiana Jones films, with their continuous Saturday morning cliffhanger adventures. From beginning to end, it moves with energy and good pacing. The leads are attractive, the sets and locales interesting, and you’ll never guess who the villain is. Oh, maybe you will – he’s always the villain. If you’re looking for a mindless, emotionless, popcorn-eaten, by-the-numbers summer actioneer – this is it. Sadly, it never generates wonder.

The lead, demonstrating a flair for James Bond witticisms and Conan the Barbarian sword-swinging, should be pleasing to the ladies (Gyllenhaal is a good-looking guy), and Gemma Arterton is beautiful with her requisite puffed-up lips and magnetic brown eyes. Alas, there’s no chemistry between the two. The action sequences are shot with a bouncing camera, the fighting scenes (and they are endless) are muddled by extreme close-ups and quick cutting. Can any of the actors actually swing a club, an ax or a sword? Who knows? The battles are so jumbled, who can tell?

The emphasis is on action. No problem there, but the lack of narrative drive, its emotional ambivalence, the anachronistic dialogue and its muddled visual sense keeps it from being what any film in this genre should be – fun.

As for all those blaring, quick-edited battles between good guy and evil guy, today’s directors and crew have lost the choreographed simplicity that used to draw us into the action. Years ago, Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn dueled in The Adventures of Robin Hood. A few years later, Basil got into it with Tyrone Power in Mark of Zorro, that fencing match also a highlight. The two actors were aided by atmosphere as much as an editing machine. The camera held still, the score punching up the scene as much as the editor, and the two actors looked like they really had taken fencing lessons. Indeed, Mr. Rathbone was considered one of the best with a blade in Hollywoodland.

The Prince of Persia is boisterous but bland. Now, that last statement is mere opinion. It is based on the fact that I have seen many films in this genre, some that amused me, some I found magical. But you may like it. Your kids may like it. That’s the magic of movies, one entertains some, while completely boring others. Understand and believe, I do not like saying something negative about a filmmaker’s work. That said, I have an appreciation for this art form and find that too often films from this era are limited to a demographic the studio thinks will best support movie-going. Studios make movies for 14-year-old boys, and then they keep in mind the foreign market. Nothing wrong with that. It is, after all, a business. However, films can be smart rather than suck in a formula where creativity becomes secondary.

In recent years, animation has been a breeding ground for thoughtful, amusing, even touching programming that reached both young and old. Last year the film UP contained a montage that moved me to tears and made me laugh (towards the opening of the film we see the man and wife as they share their life – was that charming or what?). No other film that year touched me like that. The makers of that film and most other animated films of that year were truly creative and respectful of their audience – both young and old. Why aren’t we seeing that imagination applied to live-action films? Certainly, I didn’t expect to be moved emotionally by The Prince of Persia, but I was hoping to be awed. I wasn’t. So, check out other reviews. If the majority of them show the film to be lacking, who might want to save your money.

DVD Alt: The Thief of Bagdad. The 1940, color version starring Sabu follows a sharp native boy who outwits a villainous magician in this Arabian Nights fable. Oscar-winning photography, a great score and formidable special effects for their day highlight this truly entertaining fantasy adventure.

PG-13 (one suggestive sexual remark; though bloodless, there’s one intense battle after another; a magical knife that turns back the sands of time is handed down to mortals by nameless gods). Running Time: 103 min. Intended Audience: 12 and up.

For information about Phil Boatwright, go to moviereporter.com.

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