The common approach to movie adaptations of games based on movies is that the end product will likely suck. Be it from a critical standpoint for people who don’t know the series, or from the point of view of fans. There have been some points where fans are pleased to a degree, but critics are not. There has yet to be a movie that sets a clean bar for both categories, and with adaptations being the big thing we’re seeing in Hollywood it’s not so surprising to see more video game movies being made.

What is perhaps the most surprising is Buena Vista, also known as Disney, buying up the movie rights to the Prince of Persia franchise. A great deal of speculation on the movie’s performance rotated around the movie. with Jerry Bruckheimer producing the movie it looked a little better than one expected. Then the role of the titular character, the Prince of Persia, being cast by Donny Darko and Brokeback Mountain’s Jack Gyllenhall. Not quite the middle eastern prince everyone expected.

Disney released the movie’s trailer today and it actually look like it might not be so horrible. The trailer features much in the way of action, quick cuts, explosions(mostly sand filled) and prominently displaying Gyllenhall and his love interest. There is some free-running, which has become a primary focus in the game’s new series, but not much in the way of what we’re used to from the series. Gyllenhall’s accent is more British than Persian however it does seem to work in making a fairly believable Prince, but the final product will only really be seen once the movie comes out in 2010. Hopefully it’ll actually do a good job with the series.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in HD

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