Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Jake Gyllenhaal Director: Mike Newell Mike Newell

Overview

Ubisoft's popular video-game series of the same name gets adapted for the big screen in this sweeping fantasy adventure starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton. The setting is sixth century Persia. A nefarious nobleman covets the Sands of Time, a legendary gift from the gods that allows its possessor to turn back time. Whoever owns the Sands of Time has the power to rule the world, and this villainous lord would use that power to enslave all of humanity. The only person capable of defeating this tyrant and saving the world is Dastan (Gyllenhaal), a youthful prince. Now, with plucky princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) by his side, Dastan will attempt to prevent the Sands of Time from falling into the wrong hands. Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) directs a script penned by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, Jordan Mechner, and Boaz Yakin.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/14/2010
UPC:	0786936787566
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	2,636

Special Features

An unseen world: making Prince of Persia; Deleted scene: the banquet - Garsiv presents heads

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jake Gyllenhaal	Dastan
Gemma Arterton	Tamina
Ben Kingsley	Nizam
Alfred Molina	Sheik Amar
Steve Toussaint	Seso
Toby Kebbell	Garsiv
Richard Coyle	Tus
Ronald Pickup	King Sharaman
Reece Ritchie	Bis
Gísli Örn Gardarsson	Hassansin Leader
Claudio Pacifico	Hassansin Porcupine
Thomas Dupont	Hassansin Whip Man
David Pope	Hassansin Giant Scimitar
Domonkos Pardanyi	Hassansin Double-Bladed Halberd
Massimiliano Ubaldi	Hassansin Long Razor
Vladimir Furdik	Hassansin Grenade Man
Christopher Greet	Regent of Alamut
William Foster	Young Dastan
Elliot James Neale	Young Bis
Selva Rasalingam	Persian Captain
Daud Shah	Asoka
Daisy Doidge-Hill	Young Guardian Girl
Charlie Banks	King Sharaman (Boy)
Jesse Mathews	Nizam (Boy)
Rohan Siva	Bloodied Alamut Soldier
Dimitri Andreas	Head Servant
Stephen Pope	Roham
Trampas Thompson	Mounted Herald
Joseph Bedelem	Garsiv's Lieutenant
Rachid Abbad	Rafa
Farzana Dua Elahe	Tamina's Maid Servant
Aziz El Kibachi	Mughal Sultan
Simon De Selva	General
Felix Augusto Quadros	Spy

Technical Credits

Carlo Bernard

Doug Miro

Boaz Yakin

Mike Newell	Director
David Allday	Art Director
Mick Audsley	Editor
John August	Executive Producer
Pier Luigi Basile	Art Director
Carlo Bernard	Screenwriter
Christopher Boyes	Sound/Sound Designer
Toby Britton	Set Decoration/Design
Jerry Bruckheimer	Producer
Anni Buchanan	Makeup
Will Coubrough	Set Decoration/Design
Peter Dorme	Set Decoration/Design
Susie Figgis	Casting
Daniela Giovannoni	Set Decoration/Design
Harry Gregson-Williams	Score Composer
Charlotte Hayward	Makeup
Marc Homes	Art Director
Gary Jopling	Set Decoration/Design
Michael Kahn	Editor
Wolf Kroeger	Production Designer
Rebecca Lafford	Makeup
Peter Lindsay	Sound Mixer
Sharon Martin	Makeup
Daniele Massaccesi	Camera Operator
Patrick McCormick	Executive Producer
Eric McLeod	Executive Producer
Jordan Mechner	Executive Producer,Original Story
Doug Miro	Screenwriter
Niamh O'Loan	Makeup
Chad Oman	Executive Producer
Penny Rose	Costumes/Costume Designer
Pat Sandston	Associate Producer
John Seale	Cinematographer
Mike Stenson	Executive Producer
Mark Swain	Art Director
Tom Whitehead	Set Decoration/Design
Luca Tranchino	Art Director
Martin Walsh	Editor
Simon Warnock	Asst. Director
Des Whelan	Camera Operator
Ken Wilson	Camera Operator
David Wood	Set Decoration/Design
Boaz Yakin	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

If Disney is trying to find a franchise replacement for Pirates of the Caribbean -- or at least fill the void until they make a fourth installment -- then they pretty much missed the mark with Prince of Persia. Basing the film on the popular video game of the same name, director Mike Newell tries to find the perfect balance between interesting characters, coherent action sequences, and the fun comedic moments that this type of summer movie blockbuster requires, but the story races from elaborate set piece to even more elaborate set piece with reckless abandon, leaving this Arabian Nights-style adventure charmless. The story centers on Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a former street urchin-turned-prince who's adopted by the king of Persia. During a celebration after the Persian army conquers yet another helpless kingdom, Dastan flees the comfy halls of the palace after being accused of murdering the king. Desperate and alone, he teams up with Tamina (Gemma Arterton), the princess of a neighboring kingdom, who's charged with protecting an ancient dagger. What can the dagger do? It can turn back time when filled with the fabled sands of time, but if left with the forces of evil, the dagger can unleash Armageddon. Armed with that information, Dastan stops at nothing to protect the dagger from falling into the hands of his traitorous uncle, Nizam (Ben Kingsley). It's hard to take Jake Gyllenhaal seriously as Dastan. He neither plays the role as a dashing hero or lovable rogue, so instead of an interesting and layered prince you get an action hero who is only as fun to watch as the current action sequence he is in. The same goes for Gemma Arterton, fresh off a similarly lifeless role in Clash of the Titans; Princess Tamina is pretty annoying, and when she isn't bickering endlessly with Dastan, she's pouting her lips and spouting off lines about duty and destiny. Arterton does her best, but it would have been nice to see her character strong-willed and likable. Even Sir Ben Kingsley had very little to work with, so he compensates by giving a pretty over-the-top performance as Nizam. Despite all of its messiness, the film is still kind of fun. The acrobatic action choreography -- with Dastan leaping across rooftops, scaling walls, and some pretty wicked hand-to-hand combat -- keeps the film entertaining enough. One of the bright spots comes from Alfred Molina as the quirky sidekick Sheik Amar and his gang, who are far more interesting than Dastan and Tamina; Amar's wit and zest liven up scenes that would otherwise fall flat. Though Prince of Persia is secondary to, say, an Indiana Jones film or even one of the Mummy movies -- well, the first Mummy movie anyway -- this film is still entertaining enough for anyone looking for a fun summer action flick.

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