| Movie DescriptionDastan, an orphan in the Persian Empire, commits an act of courage in a public market place and is adopted by the king because of it. Fifteen years later, Dastan, his royal-blooded foster brothers, Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell), and his uncle, Nizam (Ben Kingsley) are planning an attack on the sacred city of Alamut, which is believed to be selling weapons to Persia's enemies. Despite his doubts as to whether they should attack a sacred city and his orders to avoid the front-line of the fighting, Dastan leads a surprise attack that succeeds in allowing the Persian army to breach the walls of Alamut. In the confusion, the princess of Alamut, Tamina, instructs one of her guards to take a dagger from a shrine to safety. During the fight, however, Dastan defeats this guard, and steals the dagger. Alamut falls to the Persians and Tamina is captured. In order to pacify the captured city, Tus suggests that he and Tamina marry, which she agrees to only upon seeing that the dagger has fallen into Dastan's possession.
When Sharaman (Ronald Pickup), the king of Persia, arrives at Alamut, he reproaches Tus, his eldest son, for having made the decision to attack the city and although proud of Dastan, chides him for not doing the right thing, as he did before. He suggests that Dastan, rather than Tus should marry Tamina. Prince Dastan unknowingly presents a poisoned robe, given to him by Tus, to his father, who dies upon donning it. Dastan is blamed for the king's murder and flees Alamut with Princess Tamina. In their first camp, Tamina attempts to kill the prince and recover the dagger, during which Dastan finds out that the dagger can reverse time. During their journey, the duo meet a shady ostrich racing-organizer and tax-averse entrepreneur, Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), with his knife-throwing African friend Seso (Steve Toussaint). Dastan offers Tamina up as a slave in return for supplies; however, Amar betrays him because he recognizes him as the murderer of the king, for whom there is an "obscene" reward being offered. Dastan and Tamina escape and return to Persia for King Sharaman's funeral; here, Dastan attempts to convince his uncle Nizam that he did not kill his father. Dastan discovers that Tamina has taken the Dagger; however, he then notices Nizam's hands are burned. Garsiv and the city guards appear and attack Dastan and he is forced to escape. |
