Prince of Persia
I remember pretty vividly the days when the approach of summer meant my favorite time of year for films. I’d pull out the Calendar Summer Sneaks section of the Los Angeles Times and look through every movie that was on deck. I even recall making a list of the things I just “had” to see that summer. I wouldn’t say the appeal of summer blockbusters has gone away completely, an exciting, fun, action packed summer flick is still one of the most enjoyable things in the world for me. But, I have become a bit more discerning, because just because a film is trying to be “fun,” doesn’t mean it can’t be well executed, have an interesting story, and feature engaging characters. When I recently made my list of anticipated movies for this summer, I considered expanding it to 10 or featuring some honorable mentions, but when it came down to it, most of the movies beyond the first five were wild cards. I hoped they’d be good but I had no amount of certainty that they were. Amongst these considerations was Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the newest video game adaptation from producer Jerry Bruckheimer (reigning king of the summer blockbuster?) Video game adaptations have never been good, it’s simply a fact. But I’ll admit I’m a fan of Jerry Bruckheimer, having liked even some of his films that most have not, and I have fond memories of playing the original Prince of Persia on my first PC, so I had cautious hopes that I’d have a good time watching this movie. So what’s the verdict? Continue reading
