Slight spoilers below.
Video game to film adaptation. The very words strike fear into the heart of both game and film fans. Recently, the already installed fanbases of games and comics has proven lucrative to producers, who see the simple name of “Spiderman” or “Resident Evil” as a sure fire way to make a profit. This attitude often ends up with the fans, the source material and the movie itself being treated without any respect, the name itself will draw a crowd. Why try? So naturally approaching Prince Of Persia I was a little apprehensive.
But this film was just straight up, no nonsense fun. The story; Prince Of Persia is framed for the murder of his adopted father (King Of Persia) and must go on the run to clear his name. Behind this there is some commentary on the conflict in the middle east (despite being set in the middle east, this is the last place I would look for that) as Ben Kingsley and the Prince’s brothers become wrapped up in a plot to find a mysterious dagger which houses the sands of time.
The actual twists are pretty obvious, and when shocking moments come and characters start to die it becomes pretty obvious what is going to happen in the end. However that makes the resolution to the story all the more cathartic. You hate the bad guys, and hate the guys who think Jakey G is a bad guy. When he makes up with one of his brothers and he realises what is going on, I fist pumped, happy for the characters and glad that the bad guys seemed to be on the road to getting theirs. Despite every complication having an obvious outcome, there was genuine worry that they might not make it out of it. The story was very involving and I am thankful that they removed the monstrous villains of the videogame for a more human conflict.
Swoon.
Gyllenhaal, in his first leading blockbuster role since the “I know it was abysmal but I liked watching it because Jake Gyllenhaal was good in it” Day After Tomorrow, exhibits all the cocky swagger that he stored up whilst filming Zodiac. Alfred Molina has his best Raiders Of The Last Ark hat on playing a thief that the Prince teams up with and Gemma Atherton is a fantastic stuck up bitch. Her and the Prince’s charisma is fantastic throughout, one bit that just stuck in my mind as being brilliant was when the princess says they need to beat a sandstorm to a city, Gyllenhaal gently rolls his eyes and smirks “Only a princess could think she can out run a sandstorm”.
Stuntwork throughout is thrilling, the same mix of parkour and sword fighting from the games and most other action films recently, but executed with wit, charm and a good pace as the prince ducks and dives around a tiny market, evading various minions you cannot help but wonder “How is he going to escape” and smiling when he inevitably does so.
I’m sat here now thinking that it’s about time to get to the criticism, it’s not a perfect film, some of the dialogue is clunky with the exposition, it gets a bit silly at times and it is very obvious where stuff is headed (even with some surprises as to how far it goes). But I don’t want to bring that up. I feel bad. The film was enjoyable from start to pretty much finish. I could follow it (unlike POTC 2 and 3) and it didn’t outstay it’s welcome or make me want to shove a jar full of sea urchins up my arse (Transformers 2).
It is a film that offers you a really good time and that is pretty much it. I went in to hate it. “What happened to originality” but came out glad that the characters I had followed were okay. More Indiana Jones than Super Mario Bros.
Recommend.
