If I thought the overlong, frightfully dull "Avatar" contained and rehashed every Hollywood cliché ever used, albeit in blue, "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" runs the gamut of every mindless Hollywood action-feature effect, computerized or not, and even as an admittedly escapism event, it falls short of any intended mark. It is obvious that there is little new under the Hollywood sun. Frankly, 1942's "Arabian Nights" did this plot line much better and Shemp Howard, of Three Stooges fame, surpassed Alfred Molina's deadly dull and ineffective attempt at humor. Jake Gyllenhaal, in spite of much daring-do stunts and macho posturing, is still not the virile stud hero that his handlers are trying to turn him into, and Arterton's clichéd bitchy dialog becomes tedious after 10 minutes. It's a shallow waste of time from beginning to end and how Ben Kingsley could keep a straight face throughout this loud, noisy romp is a testament to his enormous experience in front of a camera.
