Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Movie Review (B-)

With the combined might of uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Jake Gyllenhall’s rockin’ abs and respected director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time hits Memorial Day weekend with a big question mark: will this video-game based movie finally pass over the threshold of wretched to mediocre and inspire a franchise in vein of Pirates of the Caribbean? I’ll always argue a movie’s success should be based on its merits as a film rather than comparison to a video game, but the short answer is this: Prince of Persia is both fun and miles beyond its pixel-inspired brethren. And while it shares the common theme of a heroic orphan thrust into a world of magic and adventure, it does lack a Depp-like meat hook and falls short of Pirates charm– though, surprisingly, not by much.

Steeped in the craggy canyons, expansive deserts and mile-high minarets of a romanticized height-of-power Persian Empire, The Prince of Persia succeeds in taking the Cliff note narrative of 2003′s video game of the same title– invading prince discovers a dagger able to turn back time and eventually helps a princess recover it to thwart the evil plans of a duplicitous court adviser–and beefs it out with enough neutral (though slightly overstuffed) mythology, plucky character and surrounding quest to elevate it beyond the simple cut and paste/flat fan service of previous game to film failures.

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New Prince of Persia Trailer Surprisingly Not Turdtastic

I don’t care for the Prince of Persia video game franchise. I’m not a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal (although I did like him in Zodiac) and I’m usually hit and miss with everyone’s favorite guy that once played Gandhi, Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island). So, to say the least, I have not been in the Cartwheel Club for Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. From posters to trailers, thus far the movie has failed to hook me. Imagine my surprise when this recently released second trailer for The Sands of Time actually warmed my cold heart just a bit. I still think it’s going to suck, but I’m to the point where I actually want to see it now. That’s a big step for me. Big.

Check out the trailer below and let me know your thoughts. Am I just having a great day, or does this trailer seem better to you, as well?

Movie Review: Shutter Island

There’s something mesmerizing about Martin Scorsese and the answer as to what finally dawned on me while watching him accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes almost a month ago. No, it’s not his furry caterpillar eyebrows tucked behind his bold, thick-framed glasses, nor is it his infectiously happy speech and big-toothed grandpa grin. To be precise, it’s his absolute and lasting love of all things cinema, which was unmistakable as I listened to his gracious remarks after receiving the prestigious award from the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Don’t believe me? Consider Scorsese’s 64 Oscar nominations and 15 wins (along with 51 Golden Globe nominations and 9 wins) over the last 42 years and show me another director with the similar accolades who isn’t considered one of the greatest of all-time. Add to Scorsese’s resume his romance with film history and film preservation and it’s easy to see the pure love and craftsmanship he saturates in each and every movie he directs. Nothing could be truer of his newest picture, Shutter Island, faithfully adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, who is also the brains behind Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River (made into fantastic movies by Ben Affleck and Clint Eastwood, respectively).

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