Prince of Persia (2010)

Directed by: Mike Newell, director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Based on the best-selling video-game series Prince of Persia, by Ubisoft

This was part of Disney's push to create Pirates of the Caribbean-style adventure franchises, and while this film didn't make enough to qualify, it still made $356 million, so clearly it did something right. Video-game roots aside, this was a very good film that stands on its own as an action-adventure classic; action-packed as Assassin's Creed, as somber in tone as Gladiator, as well-directed as a Marvel movie. If there's any one weakness it's that the central love story between the two leads feels a LITTLE more cliché than it had to be ("Princesses, can't take them anywhere"). Aside from that, it's pretty good.

The premise - the royal family of Persia is tricked into attacking a holy city housing a magical dagger, and as competition for it erupts, youngest Prince Dastan finds himself on the run and seeking the mystery of the Sands of Time.

It's very well set-up. It hits this balance of historicity and modernity along with a central theme ("the bond between brothers") and then infuses it with action and performances that bring the setting to life. It's very Disney-flavored - nothing TOO mature or hard to talk about - but that makes it exciting, not boring. I could talk about them all day, but the film does an EXCELLENT job of writing its lead characters (the Persian princes especially) and hitting this balance that feels like it's seriously pondering an issue, not just spinning its wheels to sound mature. The music is excellent - they got the guy who did Narnia and the Shrek movies - and they got actors who really delivered good performances. Ben Kingsley's character doesn't get tons of screen-time, but he turns what could've been a cliché into a layered and refined figure.

It's an hour and fifty-five and costs three dollars to rent. It's not gonna make you re-write your whole life; but it is gonna get you invested and then provide a sense of relief; which, considering its video-game roots, is exactly what it's meant to do. Go have some fun.