‘Persia’ brings video game to life

Movie: "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"

When: Opening Friday at local theaters

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina

Director: Mike Newell

The story: In this adaptation of the video game series, the adventurous title character teams up with a rival princess to stop a mega-sandstorm -- and the villainous despot threatening to unleash it.

The buzz: Uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's hoping lightning will strike twice and transform this swashbuckling, Arabian Nights-style romp into another "Pirates of the Caribbean"-style blockbuster. In addition to its producer, however, there's another link between "Pirates" and "Persia" -- it's the only other Walt Disney Pictures release, besides the three "Pirates" adventures, to set sail with a PG-13 rating.