PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME is a terrific, action-packed, well-plotted adventure. It keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, offers fantastic sets and witty dialogue, and makes an often-convoluted time-travel plot work. Its moral vision is unusually strong, emphasizing loyalty, honor, brotherly love, parental affection, wisdom, kindness, and doing the right thing.

The movie also carries pagan mythology, references to pagan gods, and plenty of action violence. Younger children may need more protection and explanation, while older children can benefit from a parent’s help in distinguishing the film’s moral strengths from its pagan worldview.

For a rousing, positive adventure with strong values, take your middle schoolers and older children only if you are prepared to discuss those concerns.

In sixth-century Persia, young Dastan’s courage and loyalty lead King Sharaman to adopt him as a son. Years later, Dastan becomes a leader in the Persian army and helps conquer the supposedly impregnable city of Alamut.

There, he captures a sacred dagger connected to the legendary Sands of Time and meets Tamina, Alamut’s princess and high priestess. When a terrible accusation forces them to flee, Dastan and Tamina must protect the dagger from those who would use it to reshape history.

Four stars means this is a superb popcorn movie. The film is action-packed, exciting, and well plotted, with fantastic sets, witty dialogue, powerful turning points, and captivating plot development. It may be one of the best transformations of a popular video game into a movie, and its time-travel story works unusually well.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton are fun to watch and attractive, but they do more posing than acting. That weakness does little to diminish an otherwise terrific adventure.

The film strongly emphasizes loyalty, honor, brotherly love, doing the right thing, free will, and the moral importance of individual choices. It presents taxes as bad, governments as corrupt, individuals as good, and businessmen as terrific, while giving clear support to small business and opposition to big government.

Its moral themes often sound close to Christian ideas, including blessings, grace, divine providence, and redemptive sacrifice. Yet the film expresses these ideas through pagan mythology, pagan gods, priests and a high priestess, and a device created by a pagan god. Parents should help children appreciate the movie’s strong moral values while understanding that pagan polytheism is not a biblical view of God.

The movie’s central question about destiny and free will also points toward human responsibility, although its belief that people make their own destiny differs from the Bible’s teaching about God’s sovereignty. Scripture gives a firmer foundation for the film’s longing for moral direction: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME delivers terrific action, strong moral themes, and a surprisingly effective time-travel story. Its pagan mythology and violence call for parental discernment, especially with younger viewers. For teenagers, adults, and carefully guided older children, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.