Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Movie Review - Prince Of Persia

We went to see Prince Of Persia - The Sands Of Time at our local multiplex yesterday. If the crowd was any indication, the movie is not doing well. There were 8 viewers in the audience for Tuesday's 1:15 pm showing. The film was consigned to one of the smaller theaters in the complex.

I wasn't really sure what to expect - I know the reviews haven't been glowing, based on my reading of Blue Sky Disney's article titled Persian Reviews. They weren't all bad; as Honor Hunter points out, they are a bit of a mixed bag, some positive, some mediocre, nothing really terrible. And I wasn't sure if the movie would be inappropriate for my soon-to-be 5th and 3rd graders.

Going in with lower expectations is not such a bad thing, because I was pleasantly surprised by the film. It entertained me for almost 2 hours, and I found the story complicated enough to be interesting, but not so much to be incomprehensible. There was plenty of action, too. I thought, from the trailer, that it might be sort of like an Indiana Jones movie, but it was way more like Pirates of the Caribbean in feel. And for good reason: It is, after all, a Jerry Bruckheimer film.

Like those Pirates movies, I don't think it needs a second viewing, but also like those films, I would be interested in following Prince Dastan's exploits in the future. I found the film's leading lady, Gemme Arterton, to be easy on the eyes, and I liked the comic relief provided by Alfred Molina's sheik character. No one looked very Persian or Arabic in this cast, but after a bit I really didn't care. Jake Gyllenhall did look like he watched Viggo Mortensen's performance as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy a few times; he almost looked like him at times, and he moved a lot like him when carrying the sword.

All in all, I wasn't a bit disappointed. I find it sort of odd that the movie isn't doing bigger box office, and I'm a bit puzzled by some of the negative reviews. I guess those reviewers want more than I do from their action/adventure movies.

*****

No comments: