Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Johnny Depp makes the "Pirates of the Caribbean" a lot of fun, and based on a trip to Disneyland. Try anything, you never know what can happen. Even "The Godfather" that most sacred of the movies is based on a novel which can be charitably said that most rare of things: The movie is (much) better.

Oh, just sit and watch Jake Gyllenhaal muscular boundaries from one scene to another, sending evil and betrayal in the way, each episode of falling after the next as another layer of, well, a video game. It is intended to be fun, not work, but the plot is so loosely constructed that it takes a great effort to connect the dots. Best just to wait for Jake to reap more bad guys and return stroke.

But let's start at the beginning, something "Prince of Persia" does, twice. In ancient Persia, the king Sharam (Ronald Pickup) notes that there is a scruffy, brave, athletic boy named dastan in the market and adopts him. Jake Gyllenhaal grows, or at least a prince adopted worked for him. It is raised like a brother to Your (Richard Coyle) Garsiv and (Toby Kebbell). The king's brother, Nizam (Ben Kingsley), takes his nephews to attack the city of Alamut after convincing them that weapons are hidden there (yes, that's a reference to exactly what it sounds). Once in Alamut, dastan into possession of a magic dagger that can turn back time. Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), of course, wants it back.

There is an old timey feel to some of the stunts and fights, but there are plenty of computer-generated effects to go around, too. Gyllenhaal is a capable, if somewhat mopey hero. (And for all those working in the gym, he keeps his shirt in a pile. Hey, if you have it, flaunt it. ) Kingsley has a grand old time, chewing stage as if he were starving.

Arterton best prices. He has put in time as a Bond girl in "Quantum of Solace" and appeared in such films as "The Boat That Rocked" and "Clash of the Titans" and each, as here, is more interesting than playing the part . She deserves something bigger and better because it has endured, if nothing else.