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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
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This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris are in Boston for PAX East and discuss 2010's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to get into the video game mindset.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, who leads an assault against the holy city of Alamut for the Persian Empire and discovers a mysterious dagger. When accused of killing his father, King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup), he flees with Alamut's princess, Tamina (Gemma Arterton). He learns the dagger allows the wielder to travel 1 minute back in time. Realizing this was the reason behind the invasion, Dastan reluctantly teams up with Tamina to protect the dagger and keep the Sands of Time from being unleashed. Zach and Chris talk about where the Prince of Persia game series was at the time, how the movie is a critique/metaphor for the Iraq War, Dastan immediately abandoning his childhood friend to become a prince, the parkour action, and more.
You can watch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on Disney+. Next week, we'll get into the mind of a killer and discuss Renny Harlin's ridiculous 2005 thriller Mindhunters, which turns 20.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Introduction and Theme Announcement
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Everything Action Cast, the official podcast of EverythingAction.com.
00:00:18
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast the podcast for week of May 5th, 2025. I'm your co-host Zach.
Movie Overview and Anniversary
00:00:24
Speaker
I'm your co-host Chris. And this week we're traveling back in time and talking about Prince of Persia, the Sands of Time.
00:00:31
Speaker
Because if you're hearing this, we are in Boston at PAX East checking out a bunch of games. So we thought we'd get in the video game mindset, talk about video game adaptation. And also Prince Persia is celebrating its 15th anniversary later this month on yeah May 21st, 2010. So we're kind of getting a jump or ah ah early jump on its anniversary and talking about it.
Initial Impressions of the Movie
00:00:53
Speaker
A movie I don't think I've thought about or seen since it came out in 2010. I'm pretty sure I saw it and then just immediately forgot about it and just never thought about it again until I don't know about you, Chris. I've seen this movie a couple times.
00:01:09
Speaker
It's, like, not terrible. No, it's not terrible, but... No, yeah. But the problem is, like, it's definitely not, like, oh, a feel-good movie, watch it over and over again. Like, there's no, like... Prince of Persia movies and the games, like, they're they're good, but, like, the replay value is exhausting.
00:01:30
Speaker
You what mean? like I appreciate I played a few of them, but like the story isn't as complicated.
Plot Divergence from the Game
00:01:38
Speaker
It's not like some crazy journey. It's a great in-a-box story, and the movie's very like that, too, because they did a very clever thing of just like resetting it a couple times.
00:01:51
Speaker
The movie's strange because it doesn't really... It's called called The Sands of Time, but it doesn't follow the exact plot of Sands of Time. they kind just pluck like little things from like but like the originally like go back all way back to like the original like OG game, but then also Sands of Time with the Dagger, and then ah a little bit maybe from but other the two sequels, but it's weird because... The Warrior Within. or you're within Yeah, i get like Jik Juna wears the Warrior Within outfit for like one seat his one like big opening scene.
00:02:19
Speaker
And then whenever he uses the sand, like, the sand god possesses his body? Maybe. but no No, that's what it kind of is. It's like your sand self.
00:02:30
Speaker
um There's, like, this, like, you know, like, glowing tattoo that you see. Again, very deep cut for, like, maybe eight people in the theater who cared. But I recognized it because I played warrior with them.
00:02:43
Speaker
but But, like, Prince of Persia, like...
Franchise Decline Discussion
00:02:45
Speaker
um The game that came out the year this movie came out was The Forgotten Sands, which was the game that kind of like killed the franchise for until like last year, or like earlier.
00:02:55
Speaker
I think like yeah last year when The Lost Crown came out.
00:03:01
Speaker
So they're not even basing the movie on, or developing a game that coincides with movie. they's just like There's also and like a random version game that came out that has nothing to do with the movie. And it it also, like, re-contextualizes the whole purpose of the... like I guess... The Sands of Time?
00:03:21
Speaker
Well, had they they had rebooted the whole franchise. Like, the 2008 game came out before this, and it rebooted the whole Prince Persia series. And then... Wait, wait, wait. Zach, did you play Forgotten Sands?
00:03:34
Speaker
I never played Forgotten Sands, no. I did. Okay, let me explain this. So, instead of having... prince in this case like you know ah guy with like royalty and then sort of like he's on a quest he's just like a bumbling like um nathan drake in this version of forgotten sands and he's still like he's he's charming and very like crass with the princess this time and and the princess is the sands of time like she is the one that like can control like the flow of time through her
00:04:11
Speaker
So, and then it's also like ah like an escort giant escort mission. So like, you could make a movie about this. They kind of do that here. There's like little bits of like, if they just followed one or the other, but they, they kind of made it more complicated.
00:04:26
Speaker
Mm-hmm. um In the original Sans, it was just the prince and you just have to parkour everywhere and then you you do cool like puzzles. This was just like a little bit exhausting of how much like bickering that's happening between these two.
00:04:41
Speaker
well They definitely had the parkour down because there's a lot of parkour. That's like the big the biggest part of this movie is like parkour.
00:04:48
Speaker
um But but it's also it also kind of feels more like Assassin's Creed parkour a little bit. like cause like we were like two games deep into Assassin's Creed when this movie came out too.
00:04:59
Speaker
Yeah, you could feel like that that they kind of were playing around of like, let's just do an Assassin's Creed thing where people are just like hopping on from like higher ledges, getting really close with knives.
00:05:12
Speaker
ah But like, if it's this way, this movie has like too much comedy for ah like the serious tone. Like they they break it up because it's a Jerry Prokharmer movie where like serious action scene, dramatic thing.
00:05:26
Speaker
um And then just like one liner joke.
00:05:30
Speaker
Well, they were trying, they're obviously trying to make this, this is like, they're trying make this like the third tier of, because they Pirates of the Caribbean, they had National Treasure, like these like Jerry Bruckheimer, like action adventure PG-13 movies.
00:05:45
Speaker
And this is clearly trying to be like the third, like our new series, Prince of Persia, where like do a whole, know, trilogy or a series of these movies.
Failed Franchise Potential
00:05:53
Speaker
And then it did, it did okay. Like it did like, you know,
00:05:56
Speaker
over 350 million worldwide, but then Disney just kind of like, eh.
00:06:01
Speaker
We don't want to do this anymore.
00:06:05
Speaker
think probably because, like, the Forgotten Sands also kind of just, like, no one played that or bought that game, so the kind of like, that fizzled out, so, like, there was, like, no cache left in the Prince Persia name. and Mm-hmm.
00:06:17
Speaker
Uh, yeah. It was, like, some people didn't know it was based on a video game because the marketing was all about Jake Gyllenhaal how hot he is. Not so much like, hey, Ubisoft trying to hype in a tie-in or something, or maybe a DLC. you know By today's standard, if there was a movie based on something like this, they would have like really made a big deal.
00:06:45
Speaker
like They kind of differ, Assassin's Creed. I also think Ubisoft started making their own movie studio like after this. Or at least at least got like more involved like with their adaptations.
00:06:59
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. They got definitely did more oversight, which didn't quite help for the Assassin's Creed movie. No, i definitelyve I definitely prefer this over the Assassin's Creed movie. Yeah, good.
00:07:09
Speaker
Because the Assassin's Creed movie is just like confusing, and then... It's good stunts. um I might give that like wrong. um But the problem is... like Again, just like this, where it's like a exhausting of like so much exposition dump.
00:07:24
Speaker
But this movie kind of is like two movies. It's like Aladdin meets The Mummy. Yes. did you get that feeling? but Yeah, there's definitely a lot of Aladdin there.
00:07:38
Speaker
And then it's it's trying to have that like swashbuckling, like pulpy, Zorro, the mummy, like that that style. ah like I didn't mind that. adventure ah But the thing is, I really mind was how much dumb slow-mo this movie uses. It becomes like a music video at some points. where I couldn't figure out if the dagger was activated or this was just like a creative camera work from editing or something. So it's like, all right, well, we need to position this guy to come into frame. So how do we do that? Like, let's slow him down before he just runs into scene.
00:08:12
Speaker
Or like when there's like a fight and we want to show how dramatic things are, we'll just intentionally like slow-mo the impact because like one or two actors really don't have like good sword control. So let's just like slow it, like add a dramatic, like, like delay or something.
00:08:31
Speaker
yeah it's It's like that low frame rate like from the beginning of Gladiator. yeah Yeah. The end of the battle, of the first opening battle of Gladiator, it starts like going to like um super low frame rate.
00:08:43
Speaker
But see, that I understand that that time was technical limitations where they just didn't get slow-mo. And like you know they they were still experimenting. Ridley Scott was experimenting with drama. So how do you do drama? like Shudder the shit out of like the background and keep the main character in focus.
00:09:00
Speaker
I get it. They do that here, but they do it, like, way too much, where I start noticing, and it's distracting. Which you don't want. like You know mean? like You don't want the special effects to be distracting. but it before we get to that oh Before we get to that, the CGI in this movie has not aged well. No, Especially the green screen like kid running scene and stuff like that, like, in the beginning.
00:09:25
Speaker
Whoa. and And CGI sand Jake Gyllenhaal. Yeah, it's it's like the mummy still looks better than this. Even at some points, the the coloring might be off, or you can tell like the outline.
00:09:39
Speaker
I can still like enjoy myself. this This was like like a very rough idea. And then when you realize this is like Disney money behind it. What's going on? Yeah, that's like the big thing that separates us from other video game adaptations.
Disney's Shift in Focus
00:09:52
Speaker
Some of them had big studios behind them, but this is like Disney is backing the video game adaptation.
00:09:58
Speaker
And it's in a, like, it' compared to like, other older video game annotations, it kind of, like, is not quite as good. Like, Moral Combat, like, the Mortal Kombat movie, the first one, its like, more accurate and, like, a better representation of the game than the Prince Persia movie.
00:10:21
Speaker
You think with like all the millions Disney had like to like back this, have they made like another video game movie after this? like like specifically like Disney like found like a video game and adapted it? I don't think they have. we don't There probably is, we just can't name it top of our head.
00:10:42
Speaker
they went They went back to like just adapting like their rides and they bought Marvel and Star Wars. That became their action-adventure franchise.
00:10:56
Speaker
and was I was just going to say, to go back to s slow-mo for a second, like 300 came out before this too. So you would think they'd be doing like the Zack Snyder speed ramping stuff, but they don't they don't even do that. They just do the weird, stuttery slow-mo stuff.
00:11:14
Speaker
Because, like, 300 was, like, four years before this. So everyone was, like, kind of, like, that was, like, in vote. Like, people knew about the speed ramping.
00:11:26
Speaker
Yeah. I get, like, they were trying to do some creative things, but it just, like, it's distracting, which you don't want. Mm-hmm.
00:11:38
Speaker
Well, I want to jump into the opening kick things off, as far as plot points of stuff, because there's a very confusing element of the opening, which is... So you have ah young Jake Gyllenhaal, Destin, who is an Aladdin-esque street urchin, and then he like the he stands up for his friend or brother. I don't know what the relationship is to the other kid. i think it's just like street urchin kids.
00:12:04
Speaker
Yeah, so he's like that his his friend is going to get caught like it's caught by the guards, and then Destin stands up to the guards, and like they go on this you know big Aladdin-esque chase, and then because he shows courage, the king adopts him.
00:12:17
Speaker
But then he says nothing about his friend. He's just like, well, peace. Only one of us. Only one of us could become prince, and then he has to fight the other kids. You know, I'm surprised the movie wasn't like the other kids, the street urchins he abandoned, like want revenge.
00:12:34
Speaker
Yeah, would it have been fun if, like, the friend he abandoned, like, ah got taken in by, like, the assassins or something, and he became, like, an evil assassin?
00:12:44
Speaker
and then that's, like, the question is, like, you left me behind, Dastan! ah was your friend! Yeah.
00:12:53
Speaker
Yeah, not a single word. He's, like, he's he was willing to, like fight the guards and, like, like you know, protect his friend, but the second he gets on a chance to leave the streets, he's like, well, peace out, I'm out of here.
00:13:04
Speaker
Prince now. Suck it, urchins. I'm gonna be, like, eating fruit and hang out with, like, royalty, and, um, I've got a whole new family that I just impressed by parkouring.
00:13:16
Speaker
Yes. The courage of parkouring. You what's weird? It's like, in in terms of the Persian Empire, that town was just like a regular town. like but I don't think that was part of the main kingdom.
00:13:30
Speaker
They were just going around like Europe and, ah or like the Middle East and just fighting other tribes until basically made the empire. and Because he yeah so they explained the opening that the Persian Empire went from the Mediterranean to the edge of China.
00:13:48
Speaker
So that was like their raid. And then we think um during this time, like, This is after 300? Like, this is the... Yeah, this has to be, like... You're talking century after.
00:14:01
Speaker
It's, like, after, like, ancient Rome? Yeah. Man, yeah, I don't... It's hard to date it, because I feel like this is, like, smorgasbord of just whatever they can make sense in this, because...
00:14:15
Speaker
um When we think like the Persian Empire, they were very sophisticated. Their only hubris was that like it was like eventually like other countries started getting on and empires and then, you know, technology moved.
00:14:29
Speaker
But they were like very advanced. They definitely. They made a mistake by messing with the Greeks and then just getting attacked a couple of times over the years.
00:14:40
Speaker
um So it's funny that in the story, it's just like infighting, you know, it's like they're they're fighting like the next town or like there's betrayal in their own army.
00:14:54
Speaker
And it's not like a Greek force like snuck in like a Spartan or something.
00:15:01
Speaker
Well, you know, like yeah get the movie would be different if like you find out halfway through this has all been some sort of like colonist trap. Well, no one in this movie is Persian. That's another thing. Yeah, no one.
00:15:14
Speaker
Like, I think maybe maybe a few background actors are, but yeah all the main speaking roles are done by basically non-Persian people. famous Famously Persian, Jake Gyllenhaal. Famously Persian, Alfred Molina.
00:15:28
Speaker
Yeah. Who forgot was in this until I saw this again. Yep. Who I think is um like a libertarian.
00:15:37
Speaker
There's so much... I forgot how much... There's so much weird, like, political commentary. Yeah. like Like, yeah, because Alfred Molina's character is, like, constantly kind of like, talking about taxation and, like, and capitalism and all that stuff.
00:15:52
Speaker
And then the entire plot is a kind of allegory or, like, commentary or, like, critique on the Iraq War.
00:16:04
Speaker
where Persia gets false intelligence that a there are weapons being sold by the city that they have to cut that they decide to invade, you know, i.e. Iraq.
00:16:17
Speaker
And then when they invade, they don't find any weapons. and then they They have to have their inspectors go around trying to find weapons to justify their invasion.
00:16:28
Speaker
And it's crazy because, like, they they sneak it in. um
00:16:37
Speaker
In this movie that, like, kind of like, hey, kids, like, isn't, like, war crimes bad? Like, you know, like, i think that's another thing. Like, because the allegory, because of just how they're using the political stride, like, I feel like this was...
00:16:57
Speaker
It was trying too much, like it was overreaching for a Prince of Persia movie. Yeah, it'd be like you like if the mummy had some sort of crazy political commentary or critique about current events in it.
00:17:09
Speaker
mean, maybe it does. Maybe we're just not smart enough to ah like recognize them. but It's not as overt as this one, where it's just in your face. Yeah.
00:17:22
Speaker
Where like the king the king comes in and is like, you've invaded without proper intelligence? What do what what do our allies think?
00:17:30
Speaker
One, they're going to be like, what's up with this? Yeah, and then yeah it's ah it's all about they're trying to find the weapon forges and they you know they're selling what they're selling they're making weapons of mass destruction.
Movie as an Allegory of Iraq War
00:17:43
Speaker
They don't say weapons of mass destruction, but that's like the implication is they're making swords and other weapons to sell to people that will, like, fight Persia.
00:17:52
Speaker
And they need to protect Persian interests. You know what's weird? It's like, in this time, sword making just, like, is a thing, you know? It's like, oh my god, the mass destruction of a sword. It's like, what?
00:18:04
Speaker
But then they have... The Persians had bombs. and And in this movie, they have, like, machine gun-style crossbows.
00:18:13
Speaker
Like, they have crossbows, and they're basically like assault rifles.
00:18:18
Speaker
And the assassins have like wrist mounted like dart guns and all all kinds of like weapon crazy weapons.
00:18:28
Speaker
i do I do love that like the whole like Jake Gyllenhaal like breaking in invades like that like or like kind of sneaks in to like the the fort or the city and they have like they have like they push him up on that pole and then he's like using like the arrows to climb up the the wall and then he's like doing all his prince parkour stuff.
00:18:50
Speaker
Yeah, it's cool. That reminded me of very Indiana Jones-y, the mummy-y things, where it's like very silly and in action, but cool-looking.
00:19:02
Speaker
And that's that scene where he's wearing like the Warrior Within costume, which I think is only for that scene. And then he kind switches to this like big, like flowing like just desert wear from the movie. Yeah.
00:19:19
Speaker
And then he there's a point in that, oh like, in Invasion scene where he he kind of does and like ah an Assassin's Creed, like, leap of faith. ah it's not like It's not all the way, because he kind just like jumps in kind swings to slightly lower balcony.
00:19:32
Speaker
But it looks like he's going to do a full leap. The other one is like copyrighted, so it's like, uh-oh, can't do that. Can't do the other one. Can't fall to a ha ah but pile of hay, so you've got to swing to this balcony.
00:19:48
Speaker
But yeah, so they evaded this holy city on false intelligence, and then you know they they they win, they capture the princess, who's played by Gemma Arterton, who's in this and Clash of Titans in the same year. Wait, really?
00:20:04
Speaker
So she was like all all in like these crazy fantasy action movies.
00:20:14
Speaker
And then they have they have, the city has this, you know the secret weapon, which is the dagger and the sands of time.
00:20:24
Speaker
Which, I feel like they should have used it during this invasion to give them some time, but they were like, it was sacred to themselves. Yeah, they they they don't want to use it themselves, because that's like against their beliefs or something, maybe.
00:20:39
Speaker
Their religion that is, spoiler alert, like, corrupted. Yes.
Plot Elements and Stakes
00:20:45
Speaker
Which was like ah such a late game introduction where it's like, oh no, our like religious sect is like false.
00:20:53
Speaker
Because she realizes she's like a priestess to something that like isn't great anymore? Yeah, she's like the princess, but also like the main like priestess of this order guardian order that protects the Sands of Time and the dagger.
00:21:10
Speaker
but but she doesn't But then she doesn't really have any like fighting skills.
00:21:16
Speaker
like you think yeah think I mean, she swears the sword around, but it's not like, yo... Jalala's running around with dual swords and stuff. ah she She can hold her own a little bit, but then up against an assassin or something, she can't.
00:21:30
Speaker
Okay, she's trained to be like a priestess. They're not warrior priestess. Yeah. I can forgive that.
00:21:40
Speaker
I can see if she was basically like... like, out of nowhere, very skilled. I also do like that she can and will kill.
00:21:51
Speaker
Yes. You know, like, it's it's it's great that they introduced the time ah dial sequence, like, the rewind, um with Jake Gyllenhaal being murdered, like, a couple times. Mm-hmm.
00:22:04
Speaker
which, not bad. I give props to Disney for being so dark like that, because it's not like, in any other thing, it'd probably be some sort of misunderstanding, some sort of comedy thing. They went for straight, like, this preus princess is going to murder this invader, who, makes sense, she, in a matter of, like, i don't know, nine hours, she is, her her town is defeated, she's bethroned, like, betrothed to the invaders, and then she finds out they have her secret weapon.
00:22:36
Speaker
Yep. They have, like, their holiest relic, and they have no idea what it is, and then probably if they figure out what it is, that they they could, like, destroy the entire world. Let's rewind a little bit.
00:22:47
Speaker
Let's use our sands this time.
00:22:50
Speaker
Do you want to talk about how the king just, like, melted? yeah
00:22:56
Speaker
yeah so What technology was that? some sort of like powder or like like oil they put it's it's something that um ben kingsley burns his hands on to put on the robe because spoilers like the the brother of vizier is the bad guy in case you couldn't tell from any any other media like aladdin or playing any persimersia game
00:23:24
Speaker
I do like Ben Kingsley is pretty much the Mandarin in this. Pretty much, yeah. But but yeah he if he was actually like the Mandarin, not like an actor playing the Mandarin. Right, right.
00:23:35
Speaker
um I mean, you it was good. I actually don't mind Ben Kingsley in this because he doesn't just you know order things. He actually will go. he He'll strike deals. He'll...
00:23:46
Speaker
He'll go to his assassin training room, um and he'll do Will Swords. And if he wasn't just older, he probably would have won.
00:23:58
Speaker
Yeah, i don't yeah i don't I don't know what kind of oil or... Something you put on, like cloak to like burn like burn them man alive.
00:24:11
Speaker
But it's like, it's weird because it killed the dad, but just not his head. And also, didn't didnt Jake Gyllenhaal pick it up and like hold it up? like He's like, hey, here's his cloak.
00:24:22
Speaker
And then he did get burned. It's like time delay activated. Like when he put it on, it started burning him.
00:24:31
Speaker
All these questions. Mm-hmm.
00:24:35
Speaker
but yeah but then But then they they accuse ah Destin of killing their father. So he's a fugitive. He takes the princess with him. And then they're on the run going full like moonlighting, like bickering with each other on the run. I'm like, I hate you. like You got me this mess.
00:24:50
Speaker
But also, like I kind of like you.
00:24:54
Speaker
i think if I was Jake Gyllenhaal, I'd be way more scared. Because like she was she killed him a couple times. So... he would be like really smart not to like fall in love with her because she doesn't care about love, she cared about murder first. But he wins her over after like you know a couple of um schemes that fail for both of them.
00:25:17
Speaker
Yeah, they get they get to so many kind of side hijinks. like eventual like They get caught by Alfred Molina who runs an ostrich racing ring. He's also kind of just like a general like scoundrel criminal.
00:25:34
Speaker
And then, uh, like, like, J.C. obviously sells the princess to him. It's like, yeah, i like, you guys might kill me. Like, I'll say you this princess. Well, they don't know that she's a princess.
00:25:46
Speaker
She's just trying to sell this woman. And they're like, yeah, we need women to hand out refreshments during our legal ostrich races. Yeah. That the government must tax us on, which I hate.
00:26:00
Speaker
But like, Aren't the Persians the government during this time? Yeah, i think i think I think we're in the whole movie is within the Persian Empire. They're not they're not like getting outside the Persian Empire. Yeah, so so much Alfred Molina just like talking about how he hates the government and taxes.
00:26:23
Speaker
And how he wants to just be like a capitalist that like like just doing like leave him alone and let him run his watchers races.
00:26:32
Speaker
I'm also thinking, like, where where do you get ostriches in the and Persia? yeah Ostriches, like, Australian? think they're in Africa. you have to, like, travel like outside the Empire to Africa, and they kind ship them over to, you know, whereverre wherever these, like, races are happening.
00:26:56
Speaker
But yeah, they get into that mess, they get into, like, um... they they're trying They're trying to find... There's like a ah shelter of... but but like There's like a... Wherever the order is that guards the Sands of Time.
00:27:09
Speaker
They have like a ah hidden shelter they need to try to get to. that will like They hide the dagger there and keep it safe.
00:27:17
Speaker
but then they fight But then they find out that everyone there got killed by the that that it's It's weird because like they're not the Hassassins. They're like Hassassan... They add like an extra like syllable it. It's like Hassassins.
00:27:33
Speaker
Yeah, that's kind of how they were pronounced in the Middle Ages. Hassassins? Hassassins? Yeah. Which I believe... forgot what it means.
00:27:46
Speaker
The way we think assassins, it's like something else back then. But yeah, there that was like a big thing in those empires, hiring assassins. But then, like, it was like Hitman, like your your kingdom's Hitman.
00:27:59
Speaker
Yeah. And it came from, like, the you know, they took hashish, and that's, ah so it's hashish, assassins, assassins. So it's kind of like, to assassin.
00:28:12
Speaker
It's like a word. Yeah, yeahs so it's a Muslim word. Also, like, uh,
00:28:21
Speaker
It was like done by basically one like order of assassins that they were just like, we need to kill political enemies. And then it became like a requirement later on. It's like, oh and the 11th century, they were just like nuts about like trying to like knock off opponents, um which is fine. Like that.
00:28:46
Speaker
that's cool. The movie just sort of does this by introducing basically like this black ops team. like yeah le yeah They they are Ben Kingsley's private military corporation.
00:28:59
Speaker
you like how do you keep How do you keep all those guys quiet back then? Because, I mean, I get that they work in the dungeon of whatever building they're in, but all the equipment and then just like how they're training, someone's got to be like, hey, has anyone noticed like this going on?
00:29:15
Speaker
Well, they were supposed to- the king wanted and disbanded, and then Ben Kingsley was, like, secretly kept them going to bit than to be, like, his private, you know, army of assassins.
00:29:29
Speaker
But yeah, but but they have what they have, like, like such exotic weaponry. like I don't know where they're getting that from. they're making I guess they're making it themselves. They need, like, a constant supply of like, poisonous snakes. like the The main guy, is his main thing is like he keeps snakes in his robe and he pops them out to like kill people.
00:29:48
Speaker
I do like the snakes are like very specific. It's not like any ordinary snake. and they're And they're trained to do like very unique things. Did they say they mind control them or they like they have some sort of connection with the snake or there's like extremely highly trained? Because they they burrow on the ground at one point and burst out when they're like camping with Jake Gyllenhaal and Alfred Meen and all the guys are camping near the oasis.
00:30:14
Speaker
And then there's that big save the time scene where like Jake Gyllenhaal stops the snake from killing the knife throwing guy. Yeah. like the knife throwing guy yeah i mean I might have missed that part about, like, the Snake Man's power.
00:30:31
Speaker
He, um... There's a lot going on with that guy. Like, he's, like... He looks like he's poisoned already. He also looks like he's a Morlock from, like, the Underground.
00:30:42
Speaker
Yeah, is he undead and he came back? Like... And then... He's sort of just, like... Is he the leader? I mean, he's definitely the main guy, because that's who, like, Ben Kingsley goes to, and, like, he's like, get your team together, you gotta go kill the, yeah, kill this prince and princess, get me this dagger back.
00:31:03
Speaker
But there's a whole slew like, other guys, there's, like, a guy with, like, a, like, a sword whip, and then there's the guy with the, like, dart blaster on his arm, who is apparently, like, like the deadliest person, he's like, you can't get within 20 feet, like, yards of him, he'll kill you.
00:31:21
Speaker
he'll basically dart you up. But just send one guy. Don't send a couple, just one.
00:31:30
Speaker
And he's shooting... I feel like he's shooting from... When they attack that that ah like guardian shelter they're at, he's shooting from on top of a mountain cliff and it's this like dart blaster. So he's like extremely accurate. like He's using a bow and arrow. He's just like using this wrist blaster like to shoot from like miles away.
00:31:52
Speaker
I think it would have also been easier to just set that room on fire. Probably. Like, I just feel like the Sands of Time chamber was protected, but everything else was like flammable.
00:32:06
Speaker
It would have a cool finale, just like a room on fire, these guys throwing stuff at each other. Reminds me of like, Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin. Like, um, yeah, like, Jason Hall, like, just, like, does, like, the Tobey Maguire, like, spin over the, debt like, the darts.
00:32:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:32:26
Speaker
But, ah it's cool. I feel like everyone this movie, all the supporting actors kind of got time to shine. Alfred Molina gets the the, like, crazy monologues about non-government taxation.
00:32:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm. But then Knife Guy... i forgot like he gets his own like special knife like showdown. Yeah, he he gets the big battle with the... Dart Guy. They have like they like they have like a ah throwing weapon off...
00:32:58
Speaker
And then he does- and he, like, he wins, but then he's fairly wounded, but then he's able to- he throws the dagger out the window, and he's, like, the most accurate- like, he's- I don't know how far he throws the Sands of Time, but that thing, like, flew- like, a couple- couple, like, stories, and, like, ends up perfectly in the tree.
00:33:19
Speaker
You know, I'm assuming the Sands of Time also wanted it. Like, it's- it's- It wills itself to- yeah. Yeah. It wants to be with Jake Gyllenhaal. I mean, I get it. It's like 2010 Jake Gyllenhaal with rocker hair.
00:33:39
Speaker
He looks like like a metal singer. Do you think if they had done a sequel, like do you think they would have done like more elements from like Warrior Within and had like Godsmack playing stuff? he' like I was surprised they didn't go with that angle.
00:33:53
Speaker
Because that was the weird two thousand and five two thousand and six like new metal wave of... always war within like as
00:34:04
Speaker
seven I think Warrior Within was definitely in that... it was in 2004, so it was definitely in like the nu metal great like craze.
00:34:17
Speaker
i remember I remember people like going like, wait, what? like This is a sequel to Sands of Time, now it's like super dark in Godsmack plays?
00:34:28
Speaker
Wow. You know, it's it's crazy. I remember playing Prince of Persia like the year it came out, and I beat it within a rental of maybe weekend? the The first, like, same time?
00:34:40
Speaker
It's good. like I enjoyed it. It was like very immersive. very like It wasn't like grinding. That's liked about the Prince of Persia game. You just play you through the level. Just solve this environmental thing.
00:34:54
Speaker
War Within, though, is just like... you have to be good at certain parts of the fight combat, and then some of the puzzles require you to really stare at like the surrounding.
00:35:07
Speaker
And that was only like one year. So basically, Prince of Persia, then Warrior Within. what i kind of forgot that. like I always thought Warrior Within was like way later, in but no.
00:35:18
Speaker
It's just an impressive change. They pumped them out within three years, three games. It was Sands of Time, and then next year was Warrior Within, next year was Two Thrones.
00:35:36
Speaker
Yeah, that would have been great though. If they had done a sequel and it's just like they go like the full dark. It's like the entire the entire movie be scored by God's back.
00:35:49
Speaker
Well, then you're in, like, Scorpion King territory, though. Because, like, I think one songs from Warrior Within was I Stand Alone, right? So... But that was the Scorpion theme song.
00:35:59
Speaker
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, you're too close like, Scorpion... If you had, like, the sequel of... If you did a Warrior Within sequel, and you had Stand Alone in people would be like, this is just, like, Scorpion King. You're ripping off Scorpion King.
00:36:13
Speaker
Hmm.
00:36:17
Speaker
think Oh wait, to go back. You know what game I mentioned I thought was Forgotten Sands? That was the 2008 Prince of Persia game that was just like... Did they just call Prince of Persia? It was called Prince of Persia,
00:36:31
Speaker
yeah. I had remember and like, wait, Forgotten Sands, because Forgotten Sands went back to the original timeline, I guess. Yeah, because the 2008 game was a reboot of a totally different style, different everything.
00:36:44
Speaker
And I think it got like good reviews, but i did it didn't sell well. And then they reverted back to like Forgotten Sands. It takes place between, I think, Warrior Within and...
00:36:56
Speaker
ah The second one? The third one? Oh, it's between one and two, it's between Sands Time and Warrior Within. oh it kind of makes him why he gets the new metal.
00:37:09
Speaker
Yes!
00:37:11
Speaker
like how in the end of probably the Frey on Sands, like, he gets into that armor and then you hear the, like, dirt and dirt straight out line.
00:37:25
Speaker
Well, speaking music for a second, I totally forgot that the credit song is like an Alanis Morissette song. What? For Princess Purchase Against Time. Like, Alanis Morissette sings I Remain. That's like the credit song.
00:37:39
Speaker
like I was like, what is the song of the credits? like
00:37:46
Speaker
I feel like they're trying to do... think that the Mummy had... Mummy Returns had like a similar kind of song, but that was like... ah What was that band? Lit? It wasn't Lit. It was...
00:38:02
Speaker
I can't remember. It was that era. like there was like But it was like a very similar kind of saw
00:38:11
Speaker
But it's just like famous famously famously Persian, you know, Persian Middle Eastern themed singer, Lance Morissette.
00:38:23
Speaker
guess I guess it just adds to like the totally not Middle Eastern vibe of the movie. Yeah, like it's the most British people alive are like playing like Middle Eastern people.
00:38:37
Speaker
like to like Toby like Toby Kebbell and Gemma Ariton they like darkened Toby Kebbell and they gave him like almost like a Genghis Khan yes he's full Genghis Khan yeah
00:38:58
Speaker
and then like the other brother is like I don't like he has what is he I feel like that's like the only thing I've ever seen him in I don't know, I don't look him up on IMDB.
00:39:11
Speaker
i think, looks like he does a bunch of, like, ah like TV stuff.
00:39:17
Speaker
Any notable roles? He was in, like, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He was, like the like, the high priest at the school.
00:39:26
Speaker
And he was in... um
00:39:33
Speaker
Wait, oh, he was... Fantastic Beasts, The Secret Dumbledore. <unk>s like I saw Dumbledore, I'm he was Dumbledore? think he was Dumbledore's brother or something? Or Aberforth Dumbledore?
00:39:49
Speaker
you who that is, Chris? Are you up in your Harry Potter lore?
00:39:57
Speaker
Yeah, Richard Coyle. ah This is pretty much the thing I've ever seen him Yeah, I mean, he looks like he's a like stage actor who doesn't be convincing like royalty performance, that regalness.
00:40:13
Speaker
I'm surprised he's shown up in Game of Thrones, like when the like just one of these like big fantasy shows that have like sprung up recently. Oh, think about it. He was in this movie, and it's into Awesome.
00:40:24
Speaker
I mean, this movie did well and enough, but it like didn't put like a lot of people into... into the Prince of Persia universe. I mean, there was there was there wasn't a Prince Persia universe.
00:40:48
Speaker
But ah do you want to talk about like the the big finale where we see like the yeah hourglass of time that's like the the crazy... or ah Their explanation is that it's a giant sandstorm that was going to destroy the entire Earth, but then one little girl prayed to the gods to not destroy the Earth, and they're like, oh, okay.
00:41:06
Speaker
And then they locked up the sands of time in this kind of amber-esque structure under the Earth. but Okay, okay. Before that, The Sands of Time dagger needs special sand.
00:41:20
Speaker
It needs like more Sands of Time to activate. Did I miss something in how they got more of that sand again? I think the princess had like a little like charm her necklace, and then it had like a little bit more sand in it. I think there's a scene where she's like pouring it into like the the sword, but she gets the dagger back.
00:41:39
Speaker
At one point, she's like putting it in to like refuel it, basically. Okay. Because Jake Gyllenhaal uses all of the charges in that scene where like the princess is like trying to like kill him at at the campfire.
00:41:52
Speaker
which it's it's just it's like three charges, that's it? You only get three one-minute rewinds? That kind of plays by the game adaptation. Oh yeah, because you get the three little balls that went away every time you used it.
00:42:07
Speaker
And it's recharged. You gotta refill it when you get to like checkpoints or beat certain enemies. So that kind of counts, but the problem is like the the like special sand that she carried, feel like you should have either more or like, like, were they afraid of just having like a beaker fill of it so that they can go back in time longer? Because it feels like whatever how much sand you use is only what, 10 seconds?
00:42:38
Speaker
I think she says if you, like, each, like, press the when you press the jewel, you get one minute ah you to go back in time. But then, the big thing that, like, you know Banking is trying to do is if you jab it into, like, the big amber column and press the jewel, then you can basically have, like, unlimited time to go back however little long you want.
00:42:58
Speaker
So he wants to go back to but when he was, like, a young boy with the the king because he saved the king from a tiger that was attacking them. And he wants to not do that, so that his brother so then his brother, the king, gets killed, and then he becomes king.
Time Travel Mechanics and Issues
00:43:12
Speaker
Yeah, that that's like the third act reveal about the whole plot of the movie. Yeah. but then But then also, if you unleash the sands, that's going to unleash the sandstorm, like the big apocalyptic sandstorm again, they'll destroy the entire Earth.
00:43:27
Speaker
um bang I get where Ben Kingsley was like, he would rather have like no Earth than to return back to jealous royalty. But if you travel back in time and the sandstorm is happening in like but the present, wouldn't it not happen in the past?
00:43:46
Speaker
Because it's a new timeline now? Because he's because he basically trailing back like he traveling back in time to like when he was like a a kid. he's And he's not going to save his brother.
00:43:57
Speaker
But then the sandstorm is going to erupt is happening what he's in like the present day when he's like unleashing the sands. But would that happen the past too? like He gets back as a kid and the sandstorm's happening?
00:44:12
Speaker
I don't think that's how it works. like I don't think the sandstorm shows up in the past to destroy that. I think it just destroys your future. So no matter what, he goes back into the past and eventually leads back to the sandstorm to where it comes back.
00:44:25
Speaker
It loops back. Because I think the sandstorm was inevitable. think it was coming. But I don't... Here's the thing. The sandstorm isn't, like, a big thing until, like, the last act.
00:44:36
Speaker
Because we're like, oh, hey, it's getting... the The storm is worse. It's like, what? but A time storm? But the sand... That storm doesn't exist anyway in the alternate future of, like, whatever they they they fixed it again.
00:44:51
Speaker
Like, where Jake Gyllenhaal, like, proves everything and then... The sandstorm doesn't come back. So I think you have to like mess with time for the sandstorm to sense what's going on. and then try to like It's like using the speed force.
00:45:05
Speaker
So I guess the sands the storm can sense something's not right, so it's come to like mess it up. And I guess and if you leave the dagger in there, it's going to unleash... It'll fully unleash the sands. constitutionology there because he Because he pulls it out, and then he's he pulls it out, he's back... Yeah, he's back after late the battle.
00:45:25
Speaker
but they're like Yeah, we won! We're back to like the opening battle sequence. Great job. We're back to the movie again. Watch it all over again. Watch it be like, you know what would an artistic thing?
00:45:36
Speaker
If they did like a 12 Monkeys thing, or even though he changed something, it's like it's still destined to replay again. like Like, his father, like, dies a different way when he comes to, like, the the city.
00:45:50
Speaker
Yeah. And he's in the desk. Like, J.H. L.O. still gets blamed for it somehow. so instead of, like, a cloak that melts him, it's some sort of stupid, like, shoe he puts on. Or it's like an arrow and somehow, like, J.H. L.O. is, like, holding a bow and arrow. But he's like, it wasn't me.
00:46:07
Speaker
Someone put this in my hand. I mean, what would you like more? i would liked the story a little bit more if it was constantly trying to go back in time and find what was the exact thing. But I realized that movie is just source code again.
00:46:22
Speaker
Yeah, we should do it like a year after this.
00:46:28
Speaker
Yeah, that would i mean that would make it more like way more of a time travel movie. instead of like They definitely to be like definitely wanted to be like a swashbuckling, big like adventure action movie. Like the like a pulpy...
00:46:40
Speaker
Like we were saying, like, the mummy or something like that. Right. I mean, it's fine. for what How much, like, time travel usage, it's, it's like, passable because you can't... It just does one minute rewind.
00:46:52
Speaker
That's all. Let's go with it for that. Then you get to the, like, okay, hey, you can do unlimited rewind to a scene no one has seen. Where Ben Kingsley wants to go back to this, like, hunt where a tiger shows up and, like, messes him up.
00:47:05
Speaker
Messes the king up. So... like I would have liked a flashback to that scene to kind of hint, but we'd never see that. i think I think they mentioned it. like did They mentioned it, but yeah it's not like you want to see a young boy, Ben Kingsley.
00:47:25
Speaker
Just Ben Kingsley with a wig on. yeah
00:47:29
Speaker
Kingsley is playing himself as like a 10-year-old. Yep.
00:47:38
Speaker
But yeah, there is there is the fun of ah at the end of like, yeah, J.J. L.O. reveals all the like, heat everything he knows and then Ben Kingsley freaks out tries to kill him. Yeah. And it's like, it's him! He's the he's the he's the bad guy.
00:47:54
Speaker
he's like, no! and And then the yeah yeah the the the big fight, they kill him and everyone's just like, oh yeah! I feel like Ben Kingsley could have gotten away with it. Like, he would have just outsmarted whatever plan they're throwing, but He instead makes himself look super goddamn guilty by like trying to attack them with swords.
00:48:14
Speaker
Clayton Kingsley had years to plan. Years of research, waiting. you know He still has his black ops team. and i don't i don't think i think because he let because I think he let go of the dagger so that he doesn't get the benefit of realizing TIE travel happened. That makes sense.
00:48:34
Speaker
It is hilarious. Like, Ben Kingsley's killed and everyone's just like, yeah, Destin did it. He's like, great job, brother. Like, you killed our evil uncle. Also, like, not everyone in that, like, area understood what was going on.
00:48:47
Speaker
They just know that, like, their number one, like, commando guy killed the second guy in charge. Like, the yeah, the vizier, like, the the king's, like, right-hand advisor. Yeah.
00:49:03
Speaker
And then they then they do, like, the whole, like, they go to the princess they're like, well, our bad. have made your city. Sorry. Sorry we killed, like, a lot of your soldiers and then... Yeah.
00:49:15
Speaker
bleop Blew up your walls and caused, like, years worth of damage that you have to rebuild now. But here's your dagger back. Well, they don't know what it is. Except for Jake Gyllenhaal. He knows. He doesn't want to tell what it is anyone else, because...
00:49:29
Speaker
I feel like if you tell them like how special this knife is, it's going right back to war. Yep. What do you mean you have a magic dagger that can like rewind time? What do you mean you have an underground torna a time tornado pit in the basement of this place?
00:49:47
Speaker
That you like use to go and undo any event we could possibly want to undo.
00:49:57
Speaker
Yeah, because they would just be like going there like, oh, this battle went badly? Rewind. Now we know what how to defeat this country that we're attacking.
00:50:09
Speaker
We're like, oh, i I got killed in this battle? Not this time. i i do like i don't we we didnt mention by i do I do love the scene where Jake Gyllenhaal has to prove that the dagger works to his brother, and so he stabs himself with See, that's crazy for a movie that, like, i this is PG-13, but there's a lot of, like, there's, like, subtle violence, or not subtle, and then, like, sexual innuendos.
00:50:39
Speaker
Alfred Molina has a lot of, like, fun, like, dick jokes.
00:50:47
Speaker
but so That's what the kids going to see a Disney movie love. Yeah. Like, they just learn something about... themselves. And they love Willie Won't Day, like, mood-like style, like, bickering.
00:51:00
Speaker
Yeah, in the Willie Won't Day, like, what if her name doesn't stab Bruce Willis? No, no.
00:51:11
Speaker
Yeah, it'd be like it'd be like, you know, going back to Mummy again, it'd be like if Evie was so ah constantly trying to kill Rick.
00:51:19
Speaker
that That was, like, the intro. Mm-hmm.
00:51:28
Speaker
and yeah And then they're gonna they're gonna get married, cause he gives her back the dagger and they're gonna like like strengthen their the city and Persia's union with a marriage. he's any sort of And he's hinting that he knows all about the dagger and everything.
00:51:47
Speaker
And then she tries to kill him anyway. It's like, no, you know our secret.
00:51:52
Speaker
Oh, yeah, you know about the the yeah special, you know, like, the Sains of Time temple under the city? Let's go down there and look at it and I'll push you off this cliff. Yeah. That's what I'm saying, like, you can't trust her so assumedly just because the old version of, like, the ah previous version, like, fell in love and, like, got to know you. It's like the Gilmora, like, paradox of, like, Guardians of Galaxy, where it's like, she's a different person now.
00:52:18
Speaker
Yeah, mm-hmm. So Jake Gyllenhaal can be like, yeah, we definitely get along. You're going to love me. You're going to be, know, you're in so in love with me. You don't even know it yet. It's like for her, all she knows is this crazy guy showed up, killed her soldiers, like and it has her valuable like weapon.
00:52:37
Speaker
They invaded, and then they killed their main commander, or their main advisor, and then said, whoopsie, and gave her back. Yeah, I forgot.
00:52:50
Speaker
ah It's like a big fight between Jake Gyllenhaal and this other guy, who's like the not-Jake Gyllenhaal, but he's their Jake Gyllenhaal. Yeah, it's crazy, because they and do this whole thing where the king... There's a scene where like the king and Jake Gyllenhaal... The king's like...
00:53:04
Speaker
you're you're talking about the battle and then he's like well you know a great man wouldn't even have fought that battle so you you would think that payoff and be like if they haven't go back all the way back to before the battle even starts and be like no we can't do this is wrong we can't do this yeah yeah it's like it's it's after theyve it's after the battle they've fought they fight the battle again it's like he's still not a great man because he let the bell the battle happen again this time you knew it was going to happen you still let it happen Well, okay, to be fair, he had no idea what time he was going to end up.
00:53:36
Speaker
Do you have to, like, wish for what time to show up or something? Well, there was, like, you could see, like, flashes of scenes in, like, the tornado, the sand tornado, inside the amber part.
00:53:46
Speaker
So I guess maybe you could, like, kind of like, see... could just, like, look and see, like, oh, that's i remember remember that scene. I'll go back to that scene. That memory of my... that I see on there...
00:53:58
Speaker
I guess because Ben Kingsley was the one driving it to start with, so just had to grab the knife and pull it out and hope wherever he ended up was good.
00:54:15
Speaker
i do wonder, because there cause there was like a you know there's like a version of Jake Gyllenhaal that fought that whole battle and probably did the whole like infiltration thing again, and then like the the future version like jumped into his body.
00:54:29
Speaker
And now it's like future Jake Gyllenhaal. Because like, yeah, it's the... I guess your mind transports, but not your body. Because you imagine it was like two Jake Gyllenhaal running around. my god.
00:54:41
Speaker
There's like Time Cop, where you can't touch the other one. Or you have to like kill the other one. There can't be two of us.
00:54:50
Speaker
Wait, wait, wait. So it's like, I never understood that you have to kill yourself to exist in the same place, but I understood it as like, you don't want to share your life.
00:55:02
Speaker
I get if it's two parallel universes, but if it's linear time, i feel like your past self will eventually just do the steps that you just reconnect on that point.
00:55:13
Speaker
Like, you show up and then you're like, okay, i need to do the steps, the same steps to get to this point again.
00:55:22
Speaker
Well, was just going to say, that that that would have been the perfect setup to have, if they were going to do a sequel, have, like, the evil prince. Yeah, that would have been nice. is I think it started in Warrior Within, right? Or was that more like the the third one? and It was the Warrior Within, where like he's being chased by this like dark entity, and then by the third game, the dark entity is basically the prince.
00:55:49
Speaker
Because I think what happens is I think the dark entity merges with the prince and then they he's able to like tap into their power. But I think he tries to overcome it because he's like, I don't want to use like my symbiote suit of like time powers.
00:56:06
Speaker
Yeah, it's like Venom. Yeah, essentially it becomes like Venom.
00:56:15
Speaker
Yeah, because I think the thing in the third one is like there's like constantly something chasing you.
00:56:21
Speaker
Yep, that's the monster. It's like a Time Force monster. Yeah. would but if it If they were doing, after-credits scenes, that have been the after-credits scene of, like, the evil Jake Gyllenhaal steps out.
00:56:36
Speaker
Yeah, the, like... And then Gotsmack plays. yeah
00:56:45
Speaker
Jake Gyllenhaal, like, evil Jake Gyllenhaal looks at the camera and it's like, Ah, stand alone! Or just says like there can only be one prince or something. Yeah.
00:56:56
Speaker
Time to make a change. Or your sands run out. Yeah.
00:57:11
Speaker
yeah i don't i Yeah, I guess... I mean, it definitely... it was like a mode like a moderate hit, but yeah, like we said, like I guess... Prince Persia was kind of waning. I guess Disney had like... They went back to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
00:57:25
Speaker
Yeah.
00:57:28
Speaker
They're like, that's that's our series.
00:57:32
Speaker
And this was the highest grossing video game adaptation until Warcraft came out. Really? And now obviously it's... ah Is Minecraft or Super Mario the highest grossing now?
00:57:46
Speaker
I know Minecraft was like blowing it out of the water domestically, but...
00:57:54
Speaker
i think i think that I think Super Mario Bros. made like a billion dollars. So now we're like almost back on this train. But I really hope the lesson they took was keeping the adaptations good. This was passable. I feel like there wasn't a lot of Prince of Persia fans. I feel like it was a generational thing where people, there were probably more people that played the original Prince of Persia games, and then Sands of Time was pretty good, but, like, everyone else that had limited budget, like, you just weren't gonna pick up Warrior Within when you look at that, and you're like, what game is this?
00:58:35
Speaker
Yeah, because, like, it's just how, like, totally, totally different it was from, the like, Sands of Time.
00:58:42
Speaker
And it's more, like, more combat-heavy, which, i like, a lot of people, like, were like People loved like the parkour puzzling of Sand of Time. they didn't They didn't like the combat that much, because combat in Sand Time was not great.
00:58:55
Speaker
It was very simplistic. But that was what they like focused on for like the next year. was like We gotta yeah make this like like an action combat game with with a little bit of parkour puzzling sprinkled on.
00:59:09
Speaker
We gotta make this God of War. Yeah, but that's what they they wanted to do, but they're like, well, we only have the Prince of Persia license.
00:59:17
Speaker
then it's like, why not just make a new type of God of War? It's like, no, let's just convert Prince of Persia into a God of War. Make him Kratos.
00:59:32
Speaker
But yeah, any other, any final thoughts about Prince Persia, Chris? Uh, yeah, I saw this in theater and like, I wasn't disappointed, but I didn't tell a lot of people I saw this movie.
00:59:47
Speaker
Yeah. It was just like, I saw it. Yeah, it was okay. um I think I saw it, like, caught it on TV like more times than I wanted to see it. I think this is the first time I've seen it, like, all the way through in one sitting.
01:00:02
Speaker
Just because we saw this, we wanted to talk about it, but it's not bad. Like, Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job for what it is. I think it's mostly, like, the editing and some of the visuals, but he's fun. He's, like, having a good time. You could see, like...
01:00:16
Speaker
he's trying his best yeah he does he doesn't he does like the like you know kind of charming smart alecky like because i feel like that's what the prince in the game is kind of like especially in like 10 time was like he had a little bit of like a like i'm i'm like smart ass kind of thing well in the well it's funny because in the sands of time game he didn't talk to anyone it was It was just like himself?
01:00:41
Speaker
Or to you, the player? Kind of. like It was all like his thoughts in his head, but it's like a narration. Do you remember the Sands of Time like structure? just remember when you died, like he would be like, no, that's not how it went. Yeah, do that again.
01:00:57
Speaker
Yeah, like you're actually you're playing a recanting of the adventure. Because he's telling it to someone. So it's like a fun story structure. Um... but I thought like if they just did that, that would be cool, but I feel like it doesn't move well in a movie, just because you don't want like a movie within... Unless you do it kind of like the Princess Bride style,
01:01:22
Speaker
where it's like you get interruptions, you got questions, you're like, I'll tell you, I'll tell you. you know It's more like the meta narrative. Yeah. So I'm not sure that would have worked, but it would have an interesting take.
01:01:33
Speaker
I feel like... 15 years is enough time so they can do the princes the Prince of Persia, Princess Pride hybrid. The Princess of Persia. but
01:01:50
Speaker
Yeah. i it's It's fine. It's a it's it's a fine if you want like just like a fun like big adventure movie. it's just I feel like it's it's missing just some like some little element that like the mummy has and Zoro has where it's just I don't know what it is, but just this is missing it.
Conclusion and Missed Opportunities
01:02:13
Speaker
I think it needed a better villain. Maybe, yeah. if If you find Ben Kingsley also employed... Like, if they introduced the assassin leader early, and then he did more sinister stuff in the beginning, and then kind of led to more things, and then you still don't know, like, who's controlling him, and you find out it's Ben Kingsley, like, it's more of a pacing issue.
01:02:35
Speaker
um And this movie, I think, is like the start. I know this can't be the start of it, but I feel like instead of the blue light in the sky trope, this is the like yellow light in the sky, like a ah sand tornado. So this is the beginning of that era of just like blue sky beam and everything kind of gets resolved by it.
01:03:03
Speaker
But yeah, so think that'll do it for Prince of Persia this week. ah Come back next week, we'll be diving into the mind of a killer and talking about Mindhunters. The 2005 Renny Harlan bunch of FBI profilers tracking down figure out which one of them is a killer.
01:03:26
Speaker
but guess i guess also another another tribute to Val Kilmer because he's in that movie for a little bit at least.
01:03:35
Speaker
along with like ah a Christian Slater LL Cool J and other people. So we'll we' dive into that next week.
Next Episode Teaser and Social Media Reminders
01:03:43
Speaker
And definitely head over to the site. We got all of our usual stuff. i got We got news, reviews, trailers. We got our GameBox 2.0. If you like keeping the video game ah area of the site, we you check out what games we played last month.
01:03:56
Speaker
And definitely stay tuned to our social media. And then especially like afterwards, words ah we to get back to Paxies, we're going to have a whole big PAX East roundup of everything we played and checked out there.
01:04:09
Speaker
but but We'll probably post on like ah maybe some like updates on our Instagram, Twitter, all that stuff, so keep an eye on those as well. See some on-the-floor updates. So yeah, so for Chris, I'm Zach, we will see you next week.
01:04:23
Speaker
For more Foreverly Action, head to www.everythingaction.com. also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on X at Evie Action.
01:04:37
Speaker
We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.