Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Some market research idea of fun, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time turns a likable 2003 video game into a whole movie of Jake Gyllenhaal jumping off rooftops and rocks. Its story rhythms are as uncompelling as a Michael Bay film (it's most easily consumed in two-minute intervals). And without Bay's eye for postcard beauty and gargantuan composition, there's really no reward. The most orange movie so far this year, director Mike Newell's action sequences don't provide needed thrills between the filler talk about destiny and honour. The whole thing is exhaustingly cut and tone deaf, so none of it is exciting. An early battle scene ends with Prince Dastan (Gyllenhaal) retrieving the Dagger of Time: prize attained; level one complete. Skilled actors Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are wasted when the most that's required of them is lines like, "Next time, you Agghh!" –Mark Palermo