I don't know if it was the medication or the ungodly early time of day, but I was strangely surprised this morning by a movie that, when I saw the ads-- and particularly the star-- was initially unappealing to me.
Jax, our Maltese, had climbed on top of my stomach and began licking me in the face to let me know that it was time for me to get up and let him outside. I didn't want to wake my lovely wife Alice, so I turned on the coffee pot, went out and got the paper, and flipped on the television.
Based on a video game, filled with special-effects, and starring Jake Gyllenhal (who looks like a 'Bizarro' Toby McGuire!), "PRINCE of PERSIA: The Sands of Time" was actually VERY entertaining.
Once you get past all the Anglo (white) actors playing Arabian characters (and speaking with British accents), the movie IS quite action-packed and entertaining. Combining elements of "Aladdin", "Gladiator", and the swashbuckling of "Pirates of the Caribbean", I found myself interested and actually enjoying this movie! Weird...!
Again, a movie that I never intended to watch turned out to be an adequate homage to the classic 80's television show of the same name. Explosions, stunt driving, fistfights. Betrayed by the covert operatives who hired them. I was reminded of the recent based-on-a-comic book movie "The Losers". Then I remembered that the ORIGINAL A-Team did it FIRST! The only thing I didn't care for was the standard hollywood "evil CIA-corrupt Army officer" bullcrap.
All-in-all, though, I actually truly enjoyed both flicks.
