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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (31st October 2010). |
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The Film
 When Zack Snyder's "300" (2006) was release it caused a furor in Iran, they took offense to how the Persians were depicted, the film was inevitably banned there, according to IMDB a cultural adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called it "American psychological warfare against Iran." While "300" was never screened there, they didn't seem to have a problem with "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." At least not to our knowledge as I don't recall any media coverage on it and why would they? The Persian were portrayed as noble and with honor (unlike the monstrous vision in Snyder's film). regardless, why they still didn't take offense to this film remains a mystery to me, because it is offensive, granted in different ways. Why not take offense to the British twang the actors speak in, or how about the overblown price tag spent on such a mediocre film, or Jake Gyllenhaal's uncharismatic leading man status (is it just me or am I the only one that seems to think he looks dead behind the eyes recently?). "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" is not a great film, and in many ways the lack of significant dollars earned at the box office may have ended producer Jerry Bruckheimer's golden streak, further evidenced by the bombing of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (2010) and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009) prior to this. Based on the popular video series of the same name, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" tells the story of Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a street urchin adopted into the Royal family. Fifteen years later Dastan has grown into a capable leader and warrior. The Persian Empire lays siege the city of Alamut, Whom the King's brother and adviser Nizam (Ben Kingsley) has evidence they are making and selling weapons to their enemies. Dastan becomes the hero of the day leading the charge and opening the gates for the Empire's troops to storm the city and take Princess Tamina Gemma Arterton) under their charge. In a series of serendipitous events, Dastan comes into procession of a dagger that, unknown to him, is a prized treasure of the people of Alamut with a power to turn back time. While celebrating the victory Dastan is tricked into presenting his father, King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) with a poisoned robe that kills him, framed for the murder of the King, Dastan flees with Princess Tamina. Determined to prove his innocence and uncover the true conspirators behind the King's death, Dastan and Tamina embark on a adventure across the desert with a dagger that turns back time. Ever since childhood I've been a fan of video games, I've played them often starting at the rip age of 11 when my parents bought me the original NES for my birthday, long into my adulthood I'm still playing video games to the behest of my girlfriend... and as a gamer I have always been disappointed with the film adaptations of my beloved titles. Luckily for me, "Prince of Persia" was not a game I played, thus I was not as attached to it as some viewers may have been. Frankly aside from the very basics, I know very little about this game franchise, however, unlucky for me that I still had to review this film. Upon first impression from the film's theatrical trailers "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" appeared like a 2 hour exercise in over-indulgent special effects and a wafer thin plot, and the trailers were pretty accurate. However all isn't as bad as one would image. I was pleasantly surprised the film didn't outright suck. Like most Bruckheimer films no expense was spared on sending the film crew to beautiful locations, erect amazingly intricate sets, costumes, hiring the most impressive cinematographers to capture a look that can best be described as "stunning" and feature the most wonderful action (albeit Parkour, which didn't exist in the time the film is set... but oh well, just go with it), spectacle and effects. Cinematographer John Seale's frame is filled to the brim with impressive imagery, lit to a golden hue that even the star's fake tans can look natural in. The filmmakers chose to shoot in Morocco, which has become Hollywood's backlot for anything set in the Middle East. The stunning locations provide the backdrop for out adventure, the terrain is perfect as Morocco seems to have plenty of locations that suit the production from large and expansive sand dune deserts to open fields and mountains with an added bonus of being a lot safer than say shooting in Iran or even Turkey. Seale has made a name for himself among spectacle pictures and does another impressive job of capturing the world in which the production designers have created. This is one cinematographer that knows how to paint a pretty picture. The action and adventure is another reason to watch this film, if anything Bruckheimer knows how to deliver a solid adventure and this film delivers on all accounts, offering up action scenes that are both breathtaking in their execution and feature the latest in digital effects creating the time travelling sequences. Director Mike Newell is an old hand at crafting a fine adventure and does a serviceable job here of keeping the narrative (however thin) flowing and the momentum moving (with a few dragged out bits here and there). Sadly that's were the pros end. With all the action, effects and the beautiful way the film was shot are sadly not enough to make a solid movie. The film does suffer from a lot of problems, least of which is the paper thin plot that feature loose story elements that with a few rewrites could have been fixed. For example everyone seems to think Dastan is immediately guilty of killing the King despite having nothing but admiration and being thankful to him for scooping him up from the streets and giving him a home and family... his brothers seem to be swayed too easily into thinking he's guilty. You'd think at least one of them would have Dastan's back and be the reasonable one? yet no, there's obviously no trust among these brothers, offering the filmmakers the excuse needed to propel the story. This was a sore point throughout the entire film. Mike Newell seems to have a firm grasp of the action and adventure, he seems to have forgotten to give his actors any direction. The acting, to put it modestly, was lacking. The only thing memorable about the performances is that they spoke in British accents. Gyllenhaal was about the most uncharismatic leading man I've seen in a long time, there are certain films where he shines, no doubt about that, but in this film he fails miserably to capture viewers. He seems largely uninterested in being there at all, show little emotionality and certainly doesn't seem to connect with his leading lady and love interest at all. I suppose we should be thankful that Jake Gyllenhaal was cast in the leading role, because both Orlando Bloom and Zac Efron were rumored to have been short listed for the role. I suppose things could have been worse! Furthermore, there's simply no chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Arterton (who also had the same problem in "Clash of the Titans" (2010) earlier this year). Arterton's performance is flat and uninteresting, offering up nothing in the process and in what seems like a role that could have been filled by just about any Hollywood starlet. She should have owned that role, made it her own, instead it feels like a cardboard cut out. meanwhile Alfred Molina hams it up big time and Ben Kingsley cashes another check. The major problem about this film seems to stem from its casting, for this review nothing worked in terms of the cast. Perhaps they should have started with a leading man looked at least remotely Persian, heck I would have settled with someone with charisma (surely that's not hard to find in Hollywood?). The action and effects are world class, and provides just enough to get you through, while it was entertaining I don't think I'd have cause to see it again.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.40:1 mastered in HD 1080p 24/fps using AVC MPEG-4 compression. The Disney disc is excellently replicated, the image can be considered reference quality. The picture is crisp and sharp, detail is consistent throughout, with rich and intricate detail on the actor's faces right down to the grains of sand stuck to their sweat. The backgrounds, sets and costumes look equally impressive and the HD image does them justice. The craftsmen and women should be proud of their work and cinematographer John Seale had lit these locations and sets with a true eye for beauty. The locations are grand and expansive thanks to the wide frame. The golden hues balance well with the rich reds, browns and reds of the desert. Colors are certainly bold, black levels are deep and inky, little to no noise can de detected amid the blacks, there's some grain that adds some weight to the over image. The picture is clean, and features no flaws that I could detect. Simply put this image is terrific.
Audio
Two audio streams are included in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mixed at 48kHz/24-bit as well as an English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 surround track. Much like the impressive image Disney has offered up a powerful DTS-HD audio track that immerses the viewer. Dialogue is clan and distortion free, while the action and effects take the stage throughout the film offering up an impressive mix that is aggressive yet also manages to balance the quieter and more subtle moments as well. Surrounds are active and intricately mixed, ambient and directional effects feel natural and never out of place, and the score adds further depth to the overall mix and while sometimes can be overbearing, does a reasonable job of offering up a rousing accompaniment to the action. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Upon first impression Disney seems to have skimped out on the extras, upon exploration there's quite a lot packed onto this disc, despite the distinct lack of an audio commentary, what is included however, is an interactive featurette that can be viewed while watching the film, a single deleted scene, bonus trailers and a digital copy of the film. Below is a closer look at these supplements. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY The major extra included on this disc is "The Sands of Time" interactive feature where viewers can access to 42 featurettes all while you watch the film. While you watch the film, a dagger icon will appear, select it using your remote and you are granted access to a series of "Rewinds" that feature clips surrounding the film making of the film. The features are short but offer up an decent look inside the production, the challenges the filmmakers faced and the fun they had making it. Watching this feature can be a bit cumbersome, as you wait until the next dagger appears, but you can skip to the next feature pretty easily if you don't want to watch the film all the way through again. The clips included as part of this feature are: - Rewind 1: -- "Jerry Bruckheimer Introduction" runs for 51 seconds, and the producer welcomes us to this feature. -- "Filming in Morocco" runs for 2 minutes 16 seconds, takes a look at the location for this production. -- "Moroccan Marchers" runs for 1 minute 40 seconds and takes a look at the extras used in the film. - Rewind 2: -- "The Next Action Hero" runs for 2 minutes 12 seconds, takes a look at casting Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead in the film and the qualities he brought to the role. -- "Functional Fitness" runs for 1 minute 54 seconds, takes a look at the training process Gyllenhaal underwent in order to get into shape. -- "Walking up Walls" runs for 1 minute 52 seconds and focuses on the wire stunts. - Rewind 3: -- "Designing Persia" runs for 2 minutes 49 seconds and focuses on the production design. -- "Epic Dive Breakdown" runs for 1 minute 16 seconds, takes a look at the tower jump sequence as it dissects how it was conceived, shot and completed. - Rewind 4: -- "Gemma Arterton: A New Kind of Princess" runs for 2 minutes 6 seconds and look at the casting of Arterton and what she brought to the role. -- "Making a Princess" runs for 1 minute 33 seconds, takes a look at the transformation process to get into character. - Rewind 5: -- "Alamut from the Ground Up" runs for 2 minutes 19 seconds, takes a look at visualizing and creating the city seen in the film. -- "Layers of an Ancient City" runs for 1 minute, the animators take us through the CG backgrounds and sets created in the computer. - Rewind 6: -- "Parkour: Defying Gravity" runs for 1 minute 48 seconds, this takes a look at the stunts and parkour utilized in this film. -- "Parkour Legend David Belle" runs for 2 minutes, this clip takes a closer look at the stunt coordinator on this picture. - Rewind 7: -- "The Look of Rewinding Time" runs for 3 minutes, takes a look at the concept to completion of creating the time travel effects. - Rewind 8: -- "From Game to Film" runs for 2 minutes 26 seconds, takes a look at the adaptation process and the challenges faced turning a game into a narrative feature. -- "The Dagger of Time" runs for 1 minute 59 seconds, takes a look at the making of the prop. -- "Moroccan Artisans" runs for 1 minute 54 seconds, focuses on the detailed costumes, props and weapons. - Rewind 9: -- "Behold the Mighty Ostrich!" runs for 2 minutes 51 seconds, takes a look at working with the animal and creating the race sequence. -- "Ostrich Jockey Tryouts" runs for 1 minute 41 seconds, takes a look at finding the jockey's that ride these creatures. -- "Moe the Ostrich" runs for 1 minute 22 seconds, is a closer look at one of the featured Ostriches in the film. - Rewind 10: -- "Penny Rose: Master Costumer" runs for 2 minutes 24 seconds, spotlights the work of the costume designer and the wonderful wardrobe created for the cast. -- "Snake Dude" runs for 1 minute 27 seconds, is just a clip of a crew member handling a snake, oh yeah, they also handle a scorpion too. - Rewind 11: -- "Avrat Bazaar Fight" runs for 1 minute 26 seconds, takes a look at the sequence, how it was blocked, choreographed and filmed. -- "Rock the Casbah" runs for 1 minute 5 seconds, takes another look at a stunt sequence. -- "How to Collapse a Tent" runs for 2 minute 34 seconds, a look at crew members taking down a tent... seriously? - Rewind 12: -- "The Hassansins" runs for 2 minutes 21 seconds, takes a look at the dark characters of the film. -- "The Deadly Arts" runs for 3 minutes 17 seconds, focuses on some outlandish and cool weapons. -- "The Animal Lair" runs for 1 minutes 23 seconds, takes a look at the animals in the Hassansins' lair. - Rewind 13: -- "It Was Hot Hot Hot!" runs for 2 minutes 37 seconds, and takes a look at the challenges of shooting in Morocco, primarily dealing with the heat. -- "Ostrich Love" runs for 1 minute 31 seconds, Alfred Molina shares a moment with an ostrich. - Rewind 14: -- "Filming in the Atlas Mountains" runs for 2 minutes 2 seconds, takes a look at the challenges of shooting in this location and how the crew coped with getting the nature of the landscape and getting the job done. - Rewind 15: -- "The Making of an Epic Battle" runs for 3 minutes 9 seconds, a Hassansins' action sequence is dissected in this clip. -- "The Whip Fight" runs for 1 minute 38 seconds, delves into the filming of this scene. - Rewind 16: -- "A Knife Thrower's Shoot-Out" runs for 1 minute 38 seconds, a cool breakdown of the knife fight sequence. -- "Too Close for Comfort" runs for 1 minute 13 seconds, takes a razor's edge look at the knife trick that could have ended badly. - Rewind 17: -- "Filming at Pinewood Studios" runs for 2 minutes 24 seconds, takes a look at shooting in the legendary studio. -- "Time-Lapse of the Pinewood Sets" runs for 1 minute 3 seconds, as the title suggests is an accelerated look at the sets being built. - Rewind 18: -- "Making Sand from Scratch" runs for 1 minute 25 seconds, look at making some digital sand. - Rewind 19: -- "The Sands of Time" runs for 1 minute 8 seconds, a look at the creation of the vessel the holds the sand. -- "Memories of Time" runs for 1 minute 5 seconds, takes a look at the process of making the memory effects. - Rewind 20: -- "Jerry Bruckheimer's Photo Montage" caps the features off and runs for 1 minute 14 seconds, the producer is well known for making his own photographic scrapbooks from his productions, we get a highlight of photographs taken during the filming. Next up is "The Banquet - Garsiv Presents Heads" a single deleted scene that runs for 1 minute 26 seconds, in this scene the King receives another gift. If this is the only deleted scene from the entire film then its fair to say that director Mike Newell is an incredibly economical filmmaker. Rounding out the supplements are a collection of bonus trailers for: - "Disney Blu-ray" spot which runs for 1 minute 3 seconds. - "TRON Legacy" which runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds. - "Toy Story 3" which runs for 1 minute 47 seconds. - "Disney Movie Rewards" spot runs for 19 seconds. - "Genuine Disney" spot runs for 52 seconds. - "Disney Parks" spot runs for 32 seconds. - "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" which runs for 1 minute 22 seconds. - "A Christmas Carol" which runs for 1 minute 18 seconds. - "Fantasia & Fantasia 2000" which runs for 2 minutes 8 seconds. - "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "The Lion King Diamond Edition" which runs for 1 minute 24 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD This disc is a standard-def DVD edition of the film, which features some exclusive extras. First up we've got the "An Unseen World: Making Prince of Persia" featurette that runs for 15 minutes 13 seconds. This is a fairly standard EPK clip, if you watched the interactive feature on the Blu-ray there's no need to view this. "Cole & Dylan Sprouse: Blu-ray Is Suite!" promo spot runs for 4 minutes 45 seconds and is a promo for the Blu-ray format. There are also bonus trailers for: - "Disney Blu-ray" spot which runs for 1 minute 3 seconds. - "TRON Legacy" which runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds. - "Toy Story 3" which runs for 1 minute 47 seconds. - "Disney Movie Rewards" spot runs for 19 seconds. - "Genuine Disney" spot runs for 18 seconds. - "Zeke & Luther" spot runs for 32 seconds. - "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" which runs for 1 minute 22 seconds. - "A Christmas Carol" which runs for 1 minute 18 seconds. - "Fantasia & Fantasia 2000" which runs for 2 minutes 8 seconds. - "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "The Lion King Diamond Edition" which runs for 1 minute 24 seconds. DISC THREE: This is a digital copy of the film for portable devices.
Packaging
This 3-disc set is packaged in a deluxe keep case housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
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