Uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney have once again unleashed a witless and formulaic big-budget fiasco. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is better served as a $200 million dollar commercial for parkour, the French sport of free-running that is the basis of all the stuntwork. That's really the only aspect of this film that I found enjoyable. Even with a stellar cast and proven director, it's another banal exercise in video game adaptations.

Jake Gyllenhaal, who's clearly collecting a paycheck here, stars as Dastan - the aforementioned Prince of Persia. Adopted as a child by the King (Ronald Pickup), he grows up strong but in the shadows of his two older brothers (Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle). The brothers and their uncle (Ben Kingsley) are tricked into conquering a holy city, where they force its Princess (Gemma Arterton) into a marriage of convenience. She protects a dark secret, a mystical dagger with the power to take it's holder back through time.

There's been a fair amount of criticism regarding the 'whitewashing' of the Persians. This is standard Hollywood fare throughout its history, but seems a bit silly in modern times. The primary cast are all white actors lathered in brown makeup to pass as Persians. The secondary cast, non-speaking roles, are bonafide brown people who at least look the part. I have a feeling this racial discrepancy will not play very well in the real Persia.

Director Mike Newell dials in this film as well. An accomplished director (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) known for his skill with actors and special effects, Newell delivers the blandest work of his career. Prince of Persia is generic in so many ways, it's almost as if they had a focus group on set to decide what take to use in the final print. I'm not expecting a masterpiece, but it's surprising how ho-hum the character interaction is.

Prince of Persia does have one saving grace. The stunt work is entertaining. Dastan and his cohorts leap up walls, from building to building, and numerous beasts - including ostriches. This works until the characters go CGI. Then you feel like you're watching a video game, but overall it's well done. The violence is not cartoonish, so I do give them credit for not making it realistic without going bloody. Gyllenhaal has a few swashbuckling moments that are somewhat stirring.

I have no doubt this film will be a hit, especially after the mammoth advertising campaign and popularity of the video game series. It's just annoying that they couldn't do any better with this cast and director. I suppose we shouldn't expect much from a video game adaptation, but the optimist in me hopes we'll see a decent film from this genre.