Prince of Persia Not a King Among Action Films

Citizen Kane, or even Pirates of the Caribbean, it isn't, but as a story-light video game adaptation, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is pretty good at what it does, say critics—as long as you're more into action than plot.

• Jake Gyllenhaal stars in "this ditzy film that offers more evidence that good actors, good action, and one-liners don’t solve the one thing missing in every movie video game adaptation—a story that makes sense," writes Roger Moore at the Orlando Sentinel.

• The movie's a long way from being original but its target audience will like it just fine, according to Joe Williams at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Prince of Persia "is woven of recycled fibers, but by the slipping standards of summertime entertainment, it's a magic carpet ride," he writes.
• There are some history lessons and impressive scenery amid all the action, but the movie lacks "a unifying style, tone, or purpose," complains Mike Jenkins at NPR. The film, he writes, "moves well, but doesn't show any motivation other than getting to the next game level."
• "Like any video game, Prince of Persia has its moments," Bill Goodykoontz at the Arizona Republic, praising the "old-timey feel" of some of the stunts and Gemma Arterton's performance as the love interest. "Alas, once it's over, it's also just as forgettable."

(More Prince of Persia stories.)