Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time

I watched this movie yesterday at it's premiere in Poland, and feel that I need to do a review on this movie too, before the details are forgotten by my Goldfish memory.

To begin the review of the movie, I have to mention that the story is derived from the Video Game series with the name: "Prince of Persia". These games became very popular, with Prince of Persia, Prince of Persia 2: the Shadow and the Flame, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time being some of the earlier titles, and the latter one the inspiration of this review.

In the video game, the setting is similar, but the plot is vastly different: "In Azad, the Vizier of the Maharajah tricks the Prince into releasing the Sands of Time contained inside the Hourglass of Time, using the Dagger of Time. The Sands wash over the kingdom, turning all living beings into monsters. The Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged due to their possessions; a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively. " - Wikipedia

In the movie, the plot is that the Prince (named Dastan, oddly, since the Princes are different individuals in every video game, let alone have a name but "the Prince") manages to help out the conquest of the holy town of Azad. The reason for the attack is that there are rumors of weapons being forged inside the town and later sold to the Persian Empire's enemies.

When the King (enraged by the act that was followed out by his sons) celebrates Dastan's courage.

Dastan wasn't of royal blood, he was a mere orphan who caught the King's eyes when he defended one of his friends against the Royal Guards, so he took him in as his son.

Dastan gives the King a gift, the robe of Azad's King, which was incidentally given to him by his brother. The robe is poisoned and the King dies.

Dastan is quickly judged to be the murderer and he has to flee with the princess of Azad.

The only reason she helps him out is because of him possessing a sacred dagger, which he took from one of the Azad warrior who was on his way to take it into safety.

While the Princess tries to kill Dastan to take the dagger away from him, he manages to press the top of the dagger with his thumb. When he does that not once, but twice, and the same event transpires, he finds out that the dagger can reverse time.

And suddenly it becomes clear why the attack on Azad was done, and he quickly comes to suspect his older brother as the King's murderer.

He decides to go to his father's funeral to take contact with his uncle Nizam. There he finds out that it was Nizam who killed his father, since he was the one that gave Dastan's brother the robe to give it to Dastan.

The reason was that Nizam once saved his brother, the King from being killed by beast, and he regretted that, since if he hadn't, he could have reigned as a King for his full lifetime.

Anyhow, events transpire, and after quite a few betrayals from the Princess, Dastan decides to help her to take the dagger to the holy temple where it can be safe.

But when they get there, they find out that the guards are killed, and get attacked by assassins, one of them a very ugly fellow with a scar on his face. Dastan's younger brother gets killed in the process, as he was pursuing Dastan.

The assassins get a hold of the dagger and deliver it to Nizam.

Dastan and the princess have to make their way to the palace to take the dagger back.

Well in the palace, Dastan convinces his brother, the King, about the Dagger's power and why Nizam wants it.

But too late, his brother gets killed by Nizam, and he takes the Dagger to the sands of time, to take time back.

But the princess and Dastan are on his tail, and when Nizam thrusts the dagger into the sands of time, Dastan manages to stop it after a long struggle.

Dastan finds himself back into the events prior to he King's death, and manages to reveal Nizam's plans, sorting everything out.

He marries the princess, and everything is well.

I have to say that I was positively surprised by the plot's twists in this movie. When I watched the trailer I wasn't that much impressed, and thought that it was just another fantasy movie, but I was wrong.

The movie was much different than the trailer, and I'm happy that they did it that way.

Many trailers make the mistake of revealing all the best parts of the movie in that short two minutes, something that Disney didn't do this time.

Regarding the movie, being from the Middle East myself, I found the sceneries absolutely beautiful, as well as the clothing.

Sure, I thought at first that Jake Gyllenhaal was a bad choice as the hero (mainly because of what I call the "Brokeback mountain effect", if an actor makes an obscure role, it will haunt him). But I was wrong, since he portrayed the courageous and impulsive Prince pretty well.

What I liked with the musical score was that they managed to add the musical culture of the Middle East without making it cliché or corny. How often haven't we heard the overuse of the Santor in musical scores of movies that take place in the Middle East?

Bravo, Disney.

But what I liked the most with this movie was the plot, a twist that I didn't foresee. It's wasn't as deep as in Shutter Island, but quite fitting an action movie.

And the special effects were beautiful, especially when Damian used the Dagger.

All I have to say is that if you want to watch a good movie, watch this one. It's maybe not a movie that gives you much to think about when you have watched it, but it gives you a helluva show.