Game adaptations do not exactly have the best reputation when it comes to films. Sadly that won't change after this one, although the director of Prince of Persia is responsible for the best Harry Potter film to date and therefore brought some promise into this project.

Unfortunately, the movie is a bit of a mess. The dialoges are just bits of stereotypes you've heard before tons of times, sometimes to the degree of repetition. The look is gritty but entirely unrealistic, there is no real feel for atmosphere of an exotic culture, the CGI effects take care of that and the camera is always a bit too close into people's faces. The idea of having the chemistry between our hero and his obvious love interest based on some good old screwball comedy teasing and arguing is not bad, sadly it does not work out here. Gyllenhaal and Arterton have no chemistry at all. She is gorgeous to look at, but most of the time you wished she'd just shut up and look hot.
The story is rather predictable, especially the question of the villain. The film actually manages to make a guild of dangerous assassin's look like pathetic, leprous drug addicts, which is quite a feat.

Now what's on the plus side? There is quite some jumping and running, as you'd expect from such a game...erm, film. And some of those scenes are fun, as over the top as they are. And there's Alfred Molina, who delivers the humor that just doesn't work between our heroic couple. His knife thrower is rather cool too. The "sand of times" effects are neat, and the final solution rather satisfying. The film is not boring either, just sometimes cringe-worthy.

But considering how strict this community is most of the time about mere popcorn movies I'd recommend everyone to stay away from this.

4 out of 10 ostriches.