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?

New Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Poster Still Smells of Suck

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one 2010 movie I have zero desire to see. I’ve been unimpressed with the trailer or poster, and I’m not going bananas over this Very Hairy Jake Gyllenhaal one sheet with the words “courage” boldly stamped at the top. Who was the designer behind this, Dan Rather? Either way, it’s lame, but that’s not what has this flick on a collision course with Turdville. Nope, it’s the boring cast, director and the fact that even the video game, from which the movie is based, is lame.

Then again, when I first saw the teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, I yawned and smelled a flop. And we all know how that turned out, so perhaps I’m wrong. But I doubt it.

Check out the poster below. If you’re a Jake Gyllenhaal fan, you can supersize it with a click and fantasize about his droopy features and moderate acting ability all you want.

Trailer Tuesday – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, based on the popular video game franchise, hits theaters in May 2010 and stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac), Ben Kingsly (Elegy) and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace). It’s being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Mike Newell. Based on the trailer below, I’m a little underwhelmed. But then I’m a bit biased, because I think the video game is straight up lame. And while Arterton is smokin’ hot, Jake Gyllenhaal might one of the most overrated actors working today. We’ll see if he can pull off the action hero with his long hair and fake accent.

However, I will suspend my doubt on this movie because somehow the Bruckheimer-produced Pirates of the Caribbean series worked and because Newell has an impressive resume, including Enchanted April, the little known Amazing Grace and Chuck, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Love in the Time of Cholera.

How about you? What do you think of the trailer?

Trailer Tuesday: Brothers

I’m always a little hesitant to go bonkers over a trailer because, like a jilted lover, I just don’t want to get burned again after emotionally investing myself in a two-minute clip. This is my state of mind with “Brothers,” the new film from Jim Sheridan (“In America”), starring Tobey Maguire (“Spider-Man”), Natalie Portman (“The Other Boleyn Girl”) and Jake Gyllenhaal (“Rendition”). My heart strings were tugged a little bit while watching this preview, but again – how much of that is slick marketing and how much of the good stuff will translate to the screen? That’s the eternal question in Hollywood, one marked by countless letdowns.

The case for this movie being gold sure seems solid. The only one I question in this movie is Tobey Maguire. I think he’s caught the Mark Hamill curse and will forever be seen as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He comes across as a petulant man-child in nearly every movie, including “Seabuscuit” and “The Good German.” I think his only break from that might be his 15 second cameo in the “Satan’s Alley” trailer in “Tropic Thunder.” Gyllenhaal has a little more wiggle room with me, as his roles in “Brokeback Mountain,” “Jarhead” and “Zodiac” are all strong acting.

And Portman? Well, she’s just drop dead hot, so even though she’s questionable sometimes in the acting department, I’ll grant her a pardon and hope I can get past her young woman looks to believe she’s a mother of two young kids in this movie.

Take a peek below. What do you think? Is this one to see?