Prince of Perisa: The Sands of Time (2010)

One can’t even watch a silly video-game inspired CGI-infested summer flick without a dose of political commentary. “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” concerns a world superpower attacking a smaller Middle Eastern country because it harbors weapons of mass destruction. But there are no WMDs. The rich nation is after oil. Oops. I meant a mystical dagger that can reverse time. The Prince is a buff white guy played by Jake Gyllenhaal, the adopted son of the Persian king who is assassinated during a war celebration. Our wrongly accused prince must: 1) Prove that Ben Kingsley is not Gandhi, but a rat bastard up to no good, and 2) The feisty princess (Gemma Arterton) of the besieged nation is destined to be his baby mama. We get battles, action, romance, comedy and an awful plot that provides unintended giggles. It’d all be good dumb fun, except Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain”) is a dull hero. I mean nap time boring, and he’s no action-god Stallone. Alfred Molina as a Han Solo-meets-Jabba crook saves the day. If only he were the hero. C+