Arabic Nights Making a good summer blockbuster out of a computer game is a task that not everyone can do. And to please the viewer, longing for large-scale adventure films in the spirit of “Pirates of the Caribbean” is also not easy. But Jerry Bruckheimer and Mike Newell still managed to make a bright fairy-tale adventure, in which there is no small budget and a diligent approach.
We will leave the comparison of the film with the game to gamers who will surely be able to see not only carefully entered quotes, but also other references. Connoisseurs of entertainment films are offered the story of a boy-thief adopted by the king of Persia. We are waiting for parkour, travel through time, various fights and fights and, of course, an attempt to eliminate the threat to the whole world. It will not be a story and a love story. However, if the choice of Gyllenhaal for the role of prince is even more or less successful and he copes with the image, then the appointment of Gemma Arterton to the role of a kind of princess of incomparable beauty is still controversial and quite doubtful. And, as it turned out, in life she is much prettier than in the film itself.
In general, the casting in the film creates an impression of focusing on the young guard, while Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are needed only for cardboard forms, general outlines of the plot importance of their characters and simply do not get the opportunity to reveal themselves in charisma and acting, when all attention and action is concentrated on the main character and princess.
As for visual effects and action, there are almost nothing complaints. Sandstorms and similar incidents with sand are filmed spectacularly and expressively, an approach to quality is felt in the graphics, and the fabulous entourage of the Arabian fairy tale is sustained in the best traditions of Aladdin. By the way, a lover of ostrich races, despising taxes and the power of the Persians, already painfully looks like one of the trademark “Alladin” villains, monkeys with a parrot are lacking in the frame, and the absence of a flying carpet and a genie easily brightens up with an already abundant fantastic component and various magic.
At the same time, with quite a few tricks and battles, after watching you feel a certain lack of action component. I want more and all kinds of parkour on crumbling stone slabs, and even more impressive battles with assassins. Newell clearly demonstrates a love for fabulousness and scale, but at the same time forgets about the strong basis of battles and detailed action, everything comes down to some general special effects, while you want direct clarity and visual rhythm.
The movie gets lost in itself. In the pursuit of scale - the accent of local episodes is lost, in the pursuit of maximum attention to the main character - antagonists are lost, and in the complex visual saturation there is a very simple linear story where you could correctly submit several hidden twists, and plot maps are regularly open and extremely simple. And somewhere in this confusion there is a touching legend about a girl and the sand of time, which makes the necessary moralizing message for the final actions of the protagonist in order to somehow begin to envelop the meaning of what he saw on the screen.
It turned out an adventure film genre, bringing the spirit of the East to modern blockbusters. Arab nights, lonely desert oases, ostrich runs and sandstorms, fraught with many dangers. A magical world that can really tear away from reality during its timekeeping, but with its nuances and not ideal sides, with a lot of controversial details and not always fascinating scenes. Attraction for 1 viewing, which is worth familiarizing yourself and having fun, but it is unlikely that you will want to watch it again and again, acquiring a home collection, unlike, say, the first film “Pirates of the Caribbean”. This is an adventure summer entertainment that is able to turn around in its sequels, giving the world a long-running franchise. This movie will certainly get its audience.
8 out of 10
Original