With the explosion of technology in the world of multimedia, the possibilities of visual effects are limitless. And because of that, it’s driving the type of movies that are being made. Though I don’t have any statistical data, I am pretty sure that the numbers of sci-fi, fantasy, animated movies that are coming through are much higher than ever before.
This also means that there are few movies that stand out. However, when I saw the trailers of The Prince of Persia, I was hooked. I loved, absolutely loved, the fight sequences. And then we have all played the game as a child, so there is some sentimental value too. And you know if Disney can create a multi-million dollar franchise inspired by a pirate ride, then they definitely had a lot more to draw out from an incredibly complex game.
The Plot
The premise of the movie is straightforward. Dastaan (Jake Gyllenhaal), our rakishly handsome, brave and reckless hero, is the adopted son of the King of Persia. Though third in the line to the throne, he is devoted to his elder brothers–Tus (Richard Coyle–not recognizable as Jeff from Coupling !) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell). When the movie opens, the three brothers are planning to attack the holy city of Alamut, as they believe it’s involved in illegal arms dealing (not much has changed since the middle ages, has it?).
After half an hour of brilliant fast paced fight sequences, beautiful CGI effects and some clever script, Alamut is taken over. Princess Tamina of the city is awarded to Dastaan as a bride and the King of Persia is murdered with the blame on Dastaan’s head. The Prince and the Princess turn fugitive as they try to find the truth behind the assassination.
Review
I would like to call this movie a typical “masala” fare–pure entertainment. The plot is good if not great, funny at the right places, and the acting quite top-notch. Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect for the role of Dastaan. Ben Kinglsey is such a veteran that he is always brilliant in each scene that he is in. Gemma Arterton is likeable as Tamina, though not exactly a perfect fit.
The last 20 minutes of the movie are slightly over the top and unbelievable even for a fantasy fiction and probably the only part that I did not like. However, the ending is quite unexpected, and you are left with the feeling that a few hours of your life never happened 😉
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Hmm…What wouldn’t I give to get a time-turner 🙂 Latest in line is Thor I suppose but I really didn’t like the movie line up so far.
Yes time turners are very tempting but dangerous objects. What is Thor about?
I enjoyed the movie basically because of the company. My reaction , am sure, would have been different had i seen it alone. I agree, it has entertainment and action and worth watching.