Stars Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina

We’re nearly into summer blockbuster territory and there is no name more synonymous with box office smashes than the mogul with the Midas touch, Jerry Bruckheimer.

The Prince of Persia comes as a precursor to a summer season that includes Bruckheimer’s own The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (starring Nicolas Cage)  and it stars America’s favourite indie kid turned mainstream leading man, Jake Gyllenhaal.

Based on the popular video game, you might expect Prince of Persia to bomb spectacularly, such is the fate that befalls similiar adaptations but, with the Bruckheimer name attached, you would be best advised to reserve judgment.

Having made successes of both Top Gun and Pirates of the Caribbean when fighter pilot movies and pirate films were considered dead in the water, the über producer – dubbed the man with the golden gut – could well have an early summer hit on his hands.

Financed by Disney, Prince of Persia is an action-heavy fantasy adventure yarn.

Gyllenhaal is Dastan, the adopted son of the King of Persia (Ronald Pickup). A strong moral code and love for his adoptive father and brothers inspire the prince to keep a magical time-reversing ancient dagger from the clutches of nefarious adversaries.

Thrown together with the feisty princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), the warring duo are forced to work together for one purpose: to safeguard the powerful artefact.

Although Gyllenhaal makes a convincing action hero, not only in appearance (he has bulked up impressively for this film) but also in his handling of the stunts, he doesn’t have the charisma of a Harrison Ford, an Antonio Banderas, or even a Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to quite pull it off.

Too young? Perhaps.

A film like Prince of Persia depends as much on the charm of its leading actors as it does big bangs and innovative action sequences. While Gyllenhaal copes admirably with the British accent he adopts to fit in with the rest of the largely British cast, there isn’t much about him to fall in love with.

A little of the roguish charm that Ford and Banderas have in spades or a touch of Johnson’s never-takes-himself-too-seriously magnetism would have gone a long way here.

While British beauty Arterton is perfect eye candy, there isn’t quite enough spirit to align her with the likes of Karen Allen and Kate Capshaw, both of whom proved worthy and wily female counterparts to Ford’s Dr Jones.

Prince of Persia is crying out for a sparkier chemistry with some vicious verbal sparring between the male and female lead.

Some fantastic Morocco locations add an important dimension, rooting the film’s events in a far-flung but convincing version of reality and bringing a welcome sense of immediacy to the proceedings.

While some of the Guy Ritchie-esque camera tricksiness may jar at times with the old-fashioned nature of a swashbuckling adventure story, the film deserves credit for incorporating contemporary elements that add an interesting twist.

Whether Prince of Persia makes an impact at the box office remains to be seen but if nothing else, it’s a relief not to have to wear a set of 3D glasses.

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