Prince of Persia!!!

[akhenaten]

just saw the movie.a little straining cause i sat at the very front.its like being a flea on gemma's chin. overall, i had fun! never mind that the story as old as time, but i had a rollicking time watching it! if only it werent too yellow. i definitely enjoyed it more than alice. i was expecting to be ticked off by gemma's pitchy voice and jake's fugly hair.but they turned out well...making the characters believable. my other gripe is the editing felt rushed. things happen so quickly i can hardly follow (especially when ur at the front row).

if only it was available in 3d.the theme for hassansins had bits that reminds me of the mord sith cue from legend of the seeker. cant wait to own this on home video!

3/5

[buffalobill]

41% positive at RT & by the top critics at RT 23% positive. I'm thinking I'll wait & rent it.

[katemonster]

I saw it this afternoon and I loved it actually! I really enjoyed Gemma and Jake's romance aspect of the film. I thought the stunts and parkour was really neat too. It was a good movie to start the long weekend off right!

[Prince Edward]

Saw the movie for the second time today, will watch it at the cinema at least a third time before I'll get the Blu-ray.

[Mr arrow]

akhenaten said

my other gripe is the editing felt rushed. things happen so quickly i can hardly follow

I agree akhenaten I pretty much felt the same. I quite liked it a lot - I wouldnt say loved it though. That said I found myself gawking at the endless array of stunning matte shots ( reminding me of Peter Ellenshaws work in earlier Disney films) Like akhenaten says some of the editing feels strange- really jumpy (like a video game) there seems to be a number of shots especially in the first half where they just expect the audience to assume a great deal has happened.

Yes its getting bashed by critics but I think sometimes people forget what its like to be twelve! In some ways it reminded me of old Disney swashbuckler movies like The Fighting Prince of Donegal and others. While it was somewhat lackluster-Personally I think it has potential as a franchise ---I know they can do a lot better than this.

[milojthatch]

I wasn't originally that into it. I was interested in seeing it, but was willing to wait for NetFlixs. But my wife really wanted to see it so we did today. I'm happy she did because I loved it!

[Mooky]

The movie turned out to be nothing special, IMO. Beautiful scenery, art direction and score are overshadowed by paper thin story, half-baked plot points and some highly questionable casting choices. I loved Alfred Molina's character though. Only the ending elevates the movie above utmost mediocrity. Oh, and Alanis Morissette's song over the end credits is amazing. All in all, an enjoyable, albeit rather disappointing effort.

[Prince Edward]

What am I reading?! Crappy Shrek 4 and Sluts and the City 2 both gross more than Prince of Persia over there in the US in Prince of Persia's opening weekend?

I am shocked! I was convinced it would do a lot better than that and grab the first place at the box office. I thought Disney really was planning to outdo themselves when it comes to marketing to sell this movie - Lego toys, merchandise, advertising etc. I do hope it will have legs and make enough money to persuade Disney into making sequels! I'll put my trust in the international markets and also hope that more Americans will go and see it in June and July... It's a cool adventure-movie and really has potential as a new franchise for Disney!

[pap64]

What am I reading?! Crappy Shrek 4 and Sluts and the City 2 both gross more than Prince of Persia over there in the US in Prince of Persia's opening weekend?

I am shocked! I was convinced it would do a lot better than that and grab the first place at the box office. I thought Disney really was planning to outdo themselves when it comes to marketing to sell this movie - Lego toys, merchandise, advertising etc. I do hope it will have legs and make enough money to persuade Disney into making sequels! I'll put my trust in the international markets and also hope that more Americans will go and see it in June and July... It's a cool adventure-movie and really has potential as a new franchise for Disney!

I can't speak for Sex and the City 2 since I could care less for the franchise, but Shrek 4 is a really good movie that focuses more on telling a good story and less on making fun of Disney.

Let's all take off our Disney Rosed Tinted glasses for a sec. Did anyone really expect Prince of Persia to be a huge success? Videogame based movies have never done well at the box office. Even some successes like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil underperformed.

It doesn't help that the Prince of Persia series has never been one of the strongest in the videogame industry. The first Prince of Persia game, despite all its critical success, was a flop. Sure there have been sequels but none of them have been a roaring success in terms of games sales. It's a very niche franchise among videogame fans.

Sure, Disney may have tried their best to sell this movie as a "Pirates of the Caribbean" like film. But combine the obscurity of the franchise and the apparent par reception it is getting so far it doesn't stand a chance at the box office.

Let's be realistic people.

[KennethE]

What am I reading?! Crappy Shrek 4 and Sluts and the City 2 both gross more than Prince of Persia over there in the US in Prince of Persia's opening weekend?

I am shocked! I was convinced it would do a lot better than that and grab the first place at the box office. I thought Disney really was planning to outdo themselves when it comes to marketing to sell this movie - Lego toys, merchandise, advertising etc. I do hope it will have legs and make enough money to persuade Disney into making sequels! I'll put my trust in the international markets and also hope that more Americans will go and see it in June and July... It's a cool adventure-movie and really has potential as a new franchise for Disney!

Maybe the opening was so poor because girls were turned off by the word "prince" in the title! (I doubt this was the case, but wouldn't that be a bit ironic?)

[DisneyLuver]

Alright, so I finally watched this after months of anticipation, and it was actually quite good.

No, it was no masterpiece, but it was enough to have me sit for 2 hours, fully immersed in a movie and not bored at all.

I really liked it for what it was meant to be, and will definitely purchase it when it hits Blu-Ray!

[SillySymphony]

This is a great fast-paced action movie!! I was expecting to be entertained, but for me it delivered more than what I first thought. (While on the reverse side I previously saw Iron Man 2 and was almost bored out of my mind.)
Even if I hadn't have known it was based after a video game, you could catch on pretty quickly that's the feel they were going for. I wasn't bothered by it at all. It was rushed, but I believe that's the atmosphere that they were trying to achieve. It was a race against time.

What bugged me the most was that in the back of my mind I kept thinking of how similar it was to Aladdin and PotC. The Aladdin references were subtle, but obvious: the apple/marketplace scene, the jumping from rooftops while running away from guards, the beautiful Jasmine-like princess, snakes... I know most of these couldn't be helped being similar. I mean it is Disney and they are in Persia.
I also kept thinking of Pirates because you could tell that they were trying to set up another money-making series. The characters were good, but I don't believe they're as memorable as those from PotC. It's not nearly as funny as PotC either. Persia did have its moments, but there is definitely a more serious attitude towards death in this movie. Overall I can't say if they will pursue a sequel, but they weren't planning in the beginning to make a 2nd and 3rd Pirates movie, were they?

Does anyone know if they will promote Persia in the Parks like they did with Indy? If so, I could see Dastan and Aladdin having a bit of a rivalry.

Maybe the opening was so poor because girls were turned off by the word "prince" in the title! (I doubt this was the case, but wouldn't that be a bit ironic?)

I laughed so hard at this.

[Luke]

It looks like this will be lucky to pass the $100 M mark domestically. Maybe this will cool off the current Disney (and Bruckheimer) love for colon franchises and return them to just making movies again.

[akhenaten]

i saw this again today and i still enjoy it and i hope its profitable enough to warrant a sequel. i dont see it as a video game based movie so much for its origin but as an entertaining romp. just as i dont see potc as a ride based movie. the disneyholic in me would love if this beats avatar's record but lets be practical now, i hope this wont be another prince caspian.


ok now that this is OFFICIALLY a flop. lets play a little game and lay down the reasons for its failure.
as someone has mentioned...

a)the word prince/princess spells doom for a film
b)its based on a video game
c)the marketing is weak
d)middle eastern/iran/arabic and the likes stories turn people off.
e)the movie was bad
f)it had fierce competition ..wrong timing...
g)no star power
h)the disney/bruckheimer marriage is not working anymore
i)its not in 3d

and so on and so forth.despite all that, this is the first really enjoyable movie of this summer for me.i cant wait for toy story and salt.

[Prince Edward]

Prince of Persia's underperformance makes me sad, beause it's a really fun and entertaining movie that deserves a larger audience. I am still hoping for sequels.

'Sex,' 'Prince' Deserted as 'Shrek' Leads Weak Memorial Weekend
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2798
"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time mustered an estimated $30.2 million on around 5,600 screens at 3,646 locations. That was far less than any Pirates of the Caribbean or Mummy movie, although it was bigger than Hidalgo and Sahara among desert adventures. Distributor Walt Disney Pictures' research showed that 58 percent of the audience was male, and 58 percent was aged 25 years and older.
As for Prince of Persia, it was assumed that the combination of fantasy spectacle, video game branding, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney would be sufficient to create a new blockbuster franchise in the vein of Pirates of the Caribbean. But the marketers forgot not only about story and characters but spectacle as well. Ads were a generic, golden brown blur, and this movie needed a strong, clear message to get people to care about its foreign adventure. Unbankable Jake Gyllenhaal and a video game name don't cut it. Oddly, a tremendous amount of marketing space was used to sell "May 28" over the movie itself. Somebody must really have had a thing for "May 28," judging by the movie's billboards and bus ads."

Shrek Surprises Studios. Poor Prince Of Persia Perishes!
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/shrek- ... shes-10100
"Wow. What happened? I thought Prince of Persia would dominate the box office this weekend but I guess kids would rather see more of the same generic Shrek crap than an adventure movie starring Jake 'Hunkbar' Gyllenhaal. Those old hags, led by Horseface herself, came in 2nd place with $32.1 million. I guess women just can't get enough of the crazy misadventures of shoe shopping and disgusting old woman sex scenes.
Poor Prince of Persia! A lighthearted, fun adventure movie gets beat by four crusty mules, an animated donkey and a disgusting ogre. (I'll let you decide which one represents Horseface.) and comes in 3rd with only $30.1 million. A far cry from the $200 million that was spent on it. I don't think PoP is going to be the next franchise for Disney now. Will this effect the money thrown at their next big budget films down the pipeline? I'm sure it will. Let's just hope Jerry can continue to make his Ferrari payments."

[Prince Edward]

Let's hope the international market may save Prince of Persia... I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see to figure out how much the money will earn in the end. The sale of DVD/Blu-ray and merchandise should secure a nice profit for Disney nevertheless.

"Persia," did better internationally, though it was far from a huge hit. After opening to $18 million in 19 foreign countries the previous weekend, the action-adventure played in every major foreign country this weekend and took in a solid $59 million through Sunday."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/enterta ... 26+Buzz%29

[Flanger-Hanger]

When I checked the BO numbers yesterday for curiosity's sake it showed a worldwide total of $58 million, but today it's $133 million. Plus today's Memorial Day so it could still make some decent money.

While not enough to green light a squeal, I wouldn't say this movie is not going to make back its money just yet.

Next weekend's totals should be interesting.

[Prince Edward]

Update: Prince of Persia has jumped Sluts and the City for second place on the American box-office! The movie has earned 37,8 million dollars and not 30 million as first reported.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... place.html

""Persia" was a clear winner overseas with a strong $95.5 million showing for a $133.3 million worldwide opening."
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/05/31/se ... ox-office/

[pap64]

Not to mention that at this rate Prince of Persia might be the most successful videogame movie ever, both critically and commercially.

[akhenaten]

what about tomb raider?