Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton star in Disney's film adaptation of the
video game of the same name. (Creative Commons)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is every studio executive's nightmare come to life. It is the highly anticipated initial installment of a (supposed) seven film franchise for the vaunted Disney flagship that can't even beat StreetDance 3D at the British box office its opening weekend.

Its opening weekend in the States won't prove to be much better.  A weak opening scene ominously foreshadows a deficient storyline void of audience investment in the characters and, despite its CGI fueled imagery and action sequences, Prince of Persia never really gets off the ground.

Based on the video game of the same name and over-relying on its actors to overcome the limited story telling foundation, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, an idle street boy plucked from poverty by the King and raised as royalty.  

His life takes a second, jolting turn when a robe that was given to him by his brother, Prince Tus, to present to his father as a battle victory gift is laced with a mysterious substance that ends the life of the King. Dastan is the logical suspect and narrowly escapes death with Princess Tamina in tow.  

Surprisingly, the academy award nominee Gyllenhaal holds his own in the action sequences, choosing instead to disappoint the audience with his uninspired depiction of the adopted and abandoned prince.  

Besides the fact that Gyllenhaal is one of the last actors anyone thinks of when hearing the words "Prince of Persia," the plot is the true problem. The story is convoluted, never deciding between being a story of the Prince on the Run, or a story about the Dagger of Time and its mystical powers, awkwardly deciding instead to just be both.

Disney's second attempt at a PG-13 franchise has many underlying themes that could and would resonate with the audience if they were left underlying.  Instead they are clumsily overstated and forced upon viewers with little effect, other than aggravation.

Alfred Molina, is in charge of both comic relief and clubbing audiences over the head with these modern day themes. Cast as Sheik Amar, the tax collector-hating, race track-loving entrepreneur, his humor is cheeky at first and grows annoying by the third act.

Richard Coyle as Prince Tus and Toby Kebbell as Prince Garsiv, are believable enough as battle hardened princes, but are not given enough screen time to actually matter.
   
And Gemma Arterton, as Tamina, princess of the conquered city Alamut, is convincing and beautiful, but she overpowers Gyllenhaal, missing the boat by never making the audience truly believe that these two would ever hook up.  

Not even Sir Ben Kingsley, as the treacherous Nizam, nor one visually stunning scene toward the end of the film, could save the Prince of Persia from itself.  

However, the film does have one silver lining and in tough times brings some good news for 2010 Grads looking to break into the biz:  Take solace in the fact that someone is definitely getting fired for this one.