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?

Rating the 2010 Super Bowl Trailers

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on winning Super Bowl XLIV in what may have been the most boring NFL championship since, well, the last time the Indianapolis Colts went to the Super Bowl in 2007. And while I love football as much as the next dude, I won’t lie – I anticipate the commercial breaks in the hope I’ll see some genius advertising or some phenomenal movie preview.

This year’s commercials and trailers were ho-hum, except for the Google “Search On” ad (who thought you could tell a love story using a search engine in less than a minute?), the Doritos “House Rules” commercial and the Careerbuilder.com “Casual Friday” spot, the rest were either bizarre, unfunny or beyond stale (Bud Light, I’m talking to you).  Even more glaring was the absence of trailers for Iron Man 2, The A-Team, Clash of the Titans, Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me and Tron: Legacy.

Here’s a rundown of the movie trailers shown during Super Bowl XLIV. Click the movie name to watch the preview.

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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?