Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

In life, we all know what’s right and wrong. There are moments when we don’t stand up for what’s right because it’s easier and we just go with the flow. Little do we know that it would spark a chain of events that would lead to catastrophic consequences. The choices that we make for ourselves rule our lives, not fate or destiny. This is one of many important lessons built into the story of Prince of Persia the Sands of Time. More than the countless acrobatic scenes, swinging from one beam to the next and leaping off rooftops the ideals of standing up for what’s right is at the heart of this tale.

As a huge fan of the game which I played on the PS2 years back, the only thing that I required was it should not deviate too much from the original storyline. Like comic book fans, they would resent changing the characters or origins which they have fantasized about in their minds for so long. What screen writers Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard and director Mike Newell did was to improve that grain of a concept ten fold. Having original creator Jordan Mechner on board as screen story writer preserved the authenticity of the characters. It also allowed film makers to build on his concept that was still faithful to his vision.

If you have a chance to still catch this film in a theater please do so and you won’t regret it. The sandstorms, castles, desert caves and the sweeping landscapes are best seen on the silver screen. The image envelopes and takes you to a vastly different time and place worth more than the price of admission.

In a typical Jerry Bruckheimer produced film what you’d get is a thrilling ride. And that’s what it definitely is: the best action adventure movie of the year. The movie has all the Bruckheimer signature great action sequences, stunning visual effects, humor and romance. We couldn’t get enough of Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (also from Bruckheimer) because it never stopped giving us what we wanted. POP is so well written and has amazing action sequences, it has a potential to be not just a commercial success but a classic with many sequels. It may well surpass the Pirates and Indiana Jones series, if not in fans in content.

Dastan (Jake Gylenhaal) and Tamina (Jemma Arterton) dive into a fountain from a floor above

Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan is believable and has given his character a touch of sensitivity. The action sequences were seamlessly switched between him and the Parkour experts. Except for the likes of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, actors would not be able to pull off those crazy wall running sequences. In one scene, Dastan climbs up steel spikes shot by a crossbow. Twice his hand almost gets hit by the spikes and sometimes even come loose from the wall.

With this film there is a very important underlying theme that is an empowering life lesson. This time they really paid attention to what the film was trying to convey as opposed to just producing eye candy. Family, loyalty, honesty, these are virtues that should guide our decisions and actions. It’s not always clear who your enemies are but if you hold true to what you know is right you can never be misled. The King gave jewels to the Princes in the form of proverbs. Dastan only realizes the value of these words, when he is faced by adversaries and his beliefs are questioned. One of them is “A good man does his job well, a great man stands up stands up for what is right.” When he falls into the traps of treachery he learns that he should have stood up for what’s right.

His brothers played by Richard Coyle (Tas) and Toby Kebbell (Garsiv) were at odds with him for the simple reason that they have different personalities. So when his father the King reminds him that, “The bond of brothers is the sword that defends Persia.” The belief is again tested by drastic circumstances. But it is that value that will guide him in his actions.

Dastan battles the deadly Hassansin a real life sect, where the word assassin was derived

Statements have been made within the story that is not usually found in a blockbuster film. Persians are the modern day Iranians and represents those of Muslim descent, hardly the stuff of Hollywood heroes especially post 911. And yet Persia then was the most powerful empire, very much like the United States as today’s superpower. When they were considering the invasion of Alamut, spies reported that the city was producing steel weapons for Persia’s enemies. There may be a parallelism between the U.S. invading Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction. In both cases the weapons forge and WMDs were not found.

The Hassansin from which the word assassin originated, make an ominous appearance. They are based on a real life cult, which meant the followers of ‘Hassan’. They were known for disguises and killing off their targets usually from the bodyguards of their targets who are already members of their sect.

Nizam played by Ben Kingsley is the Uncle who manipulates the brothers into conflict. Often Nizam is the voice of reason that counsels the King. But their father in his true wisdom gives them another nugget of truth that serves them well, “A king listens to counsel but always follows his heart in the end.” Wise sayings are just words until you see them being tested in dire circumstances and that’s how this film makes its point across.