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Added by Babs on Nov. 3, 2009

...And it looks like every other Jerry Bruckheimer movie trailer I have ever watched


Normally when I write these, I try my very best not to seem to biased. I am throwing that out the window with this article. You have been warned.
 
Dear Jerry Bruckheimer, your formula for success is no longer effective. 
If you do not already know, Disney has adapted 'The Prince of Persia' into a motion picture with the same title, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
produced by none other than Jerry Bruckheimer. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan; the lead in the film;  Gemma Arterton as Tamina, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, and Toby Kebbell. Does anyone else think that this movie looks a lot like 'The Mummy' or the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchises? Alright, ready for the complaints? First off, I have been watching developments on this project for two years with tremendous hesitation being that the film is based on one of my all time favorite comics and video games. The Prince is supposed to be Persian, that is why we call him the 'Prince of Persia.' When someone is Persian it means that they are from Iran, so can someone please explain to me why Gyllenhaal thought it appropriate to have a British accent? Why couldn't they get a Persian actor to play the role? I would have much rather seen someone like Aishwarya Rai play 'Tamina;' at least the native Indian actress could have been more believably "Persian."  
 
 
 
Sorry guys, but I think Disney may just have ruined a concept which once had the potential to be a great film. First, I want you to watch the trailer for the Prince of Persia video game above, courtesy of Giant Bomb. Then, check out the trailer for the upcoming film courtesy of Myspace, below. Compare and contrast and let me know what you think!

Filed under : Prince of Persia, The Prince

112 Comments

.Mistress Redhead.
on Nov. 3, 2009
Im a terrible sucker for Bruckheimer films so i will probably go see it, but i have no interest in the game or comic! 

Final Arrow
on Nov. 3, 2009
@.Mistress Redhead. said:
"Im a terrible sucker for Bruckheimer films so i will probably go see it, but i have no interest in the game or comic!  "

You're going alone :p, I love the games and the comics and as soon as I heard this was being made and saw some early shoots I cringed, The casting is awful and is totally out of character for well the characters XD.

Precise
on Nov. 3, 2009
I actually really enjoyed the trailer. I think it's going to be a great movie. However, i'm not one to be bothered by a wrong accent or stuff like that. I enjoyed playing the games and I see a lot of that in the trailer. So i'm looking forward to it =)

Acer
on Nov. 3, 2009
Im not all that exited about this. Didn't like the games, but maybe it will suprise me.

.Mistress Redhead.
on Nov. 3, 2009
@Final Arrow: oh well then.

Vortex13
on Nov. 3, 2009
The hell. I got a radical idea, now stay with me it's a little crazy but why not people who actually look like Persians to play the roles =O. I know I know crazy. Someone like Oded fehr or Kayvan Novak, both great actors. This is as annoying as Antonio Banderas as Ahmed in the 13th Warrior.

Final Arrow
on Nov. 3, 2009
@.Mistress Redhead. said:
" @Final Arrow: oh well then. "

But since it's you i will go :p

.Mistress Redhead.
on Nov. 3, 2009
@Vortex13: its a western thing, we made Jesus who was basically a black man white and hell we will make Prince of Persia white and British as well!!! XD 

MysterioMaximus
on Nov. 3, 2009
@Final Arrow said:
"@.Mistress Redhead. said:
"Im a terrible sucker for Bruckheimer films so i will probably go see it, but i have no interest in the game or comic!  "
You're going alone :p "

Based on just comments here alone, I doubt that. 
 

It doesn't look all that bad. Plus this is an adaptation of Sands of Time, not the Prince of Persia series in its entirety. And true it departs quite a bit, but then again…I’d assume that required. It doesn’t have the makings for a two hour film. I wouldn't say it's like the modern Mummy franchise either; it's got my class then that from the trailer, though trailers tend to be deceiving these days. Just because it's a desert or Arabic setting doesn't make it akin. I suppose I can see nuances to Pirates, but those were both highly financially successful and critically fairly successful films. Occasionally quite cheesy, but what do you expect? They were based off of a theme park ride; they’re going to be theme-park like. This is (perhaps loosely but nonetheless) based off a video game, it’s going to be video game-like. Expecting Shakespeare from a video game is silly…it’s primarily a superficial medium, the film will be superficial. It’s for fun, not thought or artistry.


DarkCanuck
on Nov. 3, 2009
Well, I have loved all of the POP games right back to the original side scroller and I'm including the new one that many hated. I didn't realize there was a comic but I'm definitely going to be looking into that.
As for this movie, I think it looks great. I'm getting a bit tired of hearing comments that the actors don't look Persian...I'm sorry, Jake Gyllenhaal looks just as, if not more, Persian than any of the numerous Ubisoft iterations of the Prince. And at least a British accent is not a smarmy wisecracking North American accent. I just don't think the Prince was ever particularly Persian to begin with.

damswedon
on Nov. 3, 2009
why would you make a Movie based on the Sand of time trilogy when they have already created a new Prince of Persia series in games. its a marketing nightmare.

Babs
on Nov. 3, 2009
@DarkCanuck said:

 I just don't think the Prince was ever particularly Persian to begin with. "

He was, actually. But that's okay.
 
He still could have been, oh I don't know, Middle Eastern? And if Gyllenhaal had to have an accent, why couldn't it have been Arabic or Persian?  I don't get why everyone has to be British when no one is supposed to be British.

.Mistress Redhead.
on Nov. 3, 2009
@MysterioMaximus: doubt what? 
 


MysterioMaximus
on Nov. 3, 2009
@.Mistress Redhead. said:
" @MysterioMaximus: doubt what? 
 

"

That you'll be going alone. =]

Acer
on Nov. 3, 2009
@Babs said:
" @DarkCanuck said:
 I just don't think the Prince was ever particularly Persian to begin with. "
He was, actually. But that's okay.  He still could have been, oh I don't know, Middle Eastern? And if Gyllenhaal had to have an accent, why couldn't it have been Arabic?  I don't get why everyone has to be British when no one is supposed to be British. "
Actually in the sands of time game for playstation 2. The Prince had a british accent. Ive just been watching some vids and it sounds british to me. I believe their basing the movie of that particular game.

Babs
on Nov. 3, 2009
@Acer: But he was never British.

.Mistress Redhead.
on Nov. 3, 2009
@MysterioMaximus said:
" @.Mistress Redhead. said:
" @MysterioMaximus: doubt what? 
 

"
That you'll be going alone. =] "
ohh gotcha!

Final Arrow
on Nov. 3, 2009

@MysterioMaximus
said:
"@Final Arrow said:
"@.Mistress Redhead. said:
"Im a terrible sucker for Bruckheimer films so i will probably go see it, but i have no interest in the game or comic!  "
You're going alone :p "

Based on just comments here alone, I doubt that. 
 

It doesn't look all that bad. Plus this is an adaptation of Sands of Time, not the Prince of Persia series in its entirety. And true it departs quite a bit, but then again…I’d assume that required. It doesn’t have the makings for a two hour film. I wouldn't say it's like the modern Mummy franchise either; it's got my class then that from the trailer, though trailers tend to be deceiving these days. Just because it's a desert or Arabic setting doesn't make it akin. I suppose I can see nuances to Pirates, but those were both highly financially successful and critically fairly successful films. Occasionally quite cheesy, but what do you expect? They were based off of a theme park ride; they’re going to be theme-park like. This is (perhaps loosely but nonetheless) based off a video game, it’s going to be video game-like. Expecting Shakespeare from a video game is silly…it’s primarily a superficial medium, the film will be superficial. It’s for fun, not thought or artistry.

"

No my main thing is the casting not the story!! Now sure where you got that in my post, but casting a western Actor in a role made for another seems redundant, its like making Matt Damon The Black Panther! As I said in my post not the part you quoted (which is a joke for my other half) I don't think you got that ethier! It think the casting is awful, In pirates the casting was great and actually fitted for that time, what I expected was something much more ture to the "story" as in character wise. So expecting someone to play the role of a Persian to be not Persian may come as a shock to people! 
it has nothing.to do with the story which I no doubt will be full of fun and frolics but as I said and I think i will quote myself just incase im misquoted again "The casting is awful and is totally out of character for well the characters XD." simly faces useally point out it's a funny remark!

Caffeine Buzz
on Nov. 3, 2009
I didn't know whether or not I was going to see this or not, but now I'm sold. This looks pretty freakin awesome!

MysterioMaximus
on Nov. 3, 2009
@.Mistress Redhead. said:

" @Vortex13: its a western thing, we made Jesus who was basically a black man white and hell we will make Prince of Persia white and British as well!!! XD  "

 

I do have to note though, the notion that Jesus was black is every bit as large an assumption as caucasian. You’re mixing your melanin. It’s safely assumed he was tan due to his historical stomping grounds, but not necessarily of any ethnicity. That's up in the air.

@Babs
said:

"@DarkCanuck said:

 I just don't think the Prince was ever particularly Persian to begin with. "

He was, actually. But that's okay.  He still could have been, oh I don't know, Middle Eastern? And if Gyllenhaal had to have an accent, why couldn't it have been Arabic or Persian?  I don't get why everyone has to be British when no one is supposed to be British. "

From what I understand, the British colonized Persia/Iran in the 1800’s. Perhaps this Prince, I do know in this version he’s adopted, actually is of British decent, merely tanned by the desert atmosphere. And his voice is British in the games, from what I recall.  
 



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