Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010

The cinematic journey begins with Prince Dastan, the adopted son of King Sharaman, whose compassion and courage were evident in his youth. When Dastan was just a boy, he stood up to King Sharaman’s personal guard after they unfairly punished Bis (Reece Ritchie) for defending himself against their horse. Moved by Dastan’s bravery, Sharaman adopted the young orphan and welcomed him into the royal family.

Fifteen years have passed since that fateful day, and Prince Dastan has grown into a courageous leader. When he spearheads an attack on the city of Alamut, accused of illegally supplying weapons to Persia’s enemies, his actions are driven by a sense of duty and loyalty to his kingdom. The allegations against Alamut were made by Nizam, whose spy had captured a shipment of arms leaving the city.

As King Sharaman had ordered the brothers to capture Kosh without harming Alamut, it was Tus who decided to attack the latter on their way to the Kingdom of Kosh. Meanwhile, Garsiv led an assault on the main gates of Alamut, while Dastan and a small contingent, including his friend Bis, infiltrated the city through the side gates and cleverly opened the Eastern gates from within, allowing the Persian army to gain entry with minimal resistance.

In the aftermath of the battle, Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) is captured by Dastan’s forces. As he takes possession of a mysterious dagger as spoils of war, Tamina is on the brink of taking her own life when she sees the blade in his hands. In exchange for sparing the people of Alamut, Tamina agrees to marry Tus if they are treated with mercy.

King Sharaman arrives at Alamut, only to be met with news of its capture by his forces. Enraged, he confronts Tus about conquering the city without his permission and tells him that he is not yet ready to assume the throne. Tus departs to gather evidence of Alamut’s treachery, instructing Dastan to present a prayer robe from the regent of Alamut to Sharaman as a gift. Moreover, Tus orders Dastan to kill Tamina if Sharaman does not approve of their marriage.

In the lavish halls of the royal banquet, a momentous decision is made: Dastan (character A) is granted the blessing of King Tamina’s marriage to the crown prince. The monarch deems it a fitting union, given Tus’s already extensive harem. However, this joyous occasion is short-lived, as Nizam (Ben Kingsley), Dastan’s adoptive uncle and the king’s trusted advisor, masterfully manipulates events to frame the prince for the murder of Sharaman, the benevolent ruler. As Dastan flees from the king’s vengeful sons, Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and Tus (Richard Coyle), he finds himself pursued by those who were once his allies.

A series of events unfolds with heart-pounding intensity: Bis is brutally killed, and Tamina valiantly assists Dastan in his escape. The prince soon discovers that the sands within the hilt of a mysterious dagger possess the power to rewind time by mere minutes, allowing him to retain knowledge of past events. As Dastan experiments with this extraordinary ability, he exhausts the sand’s supply, realizing too late that Tamina possesses an additional vial hidden within her necklace. The prince hypothesizes that more sand is buried in Alamut, which Tus and his armies are desperately seeking.

As Dastan navigates treacherous terrain, he forms a tenuous bond with Nizam, whom he believes to be the only one who can be trusted. Tus’s ascension to the throne following Sharaman’s demise serves as a stark reminder of the prince’s precarious situation. During their perilous journey to Avrat for the king’s funeral, Dastan and Tamina encounter Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), a shady merchant with a hidden agenda.

The pair narrowly escapes capture, only to be confronted by Nizam, who feigns sympathy towards Dastan’s plight. As the prince confronts his uncle’s deceit, he realizes that Nizam’s own hands bear the telltale signs of having handled the poisoned prayer robes. With this newfound understanding, Dastan and Tamina escape an ambush and flee from the wrath of Tus.

As they evade their pursuers, Tamina shares the ancient secrets surrounding the dagger: it is said that the gods once considered wiping humanity from existence with a catastrophic sandstorm due to mankind’s sinful nature. However, a young girl’s impassioned plea convinced the deities to spare humanity, and the resulting sands were stored in a magnificent crystal called the Sandglass, alongside the Dagger of Time. According to Tamina, this sacred relic is hidden beneath Alamut, guarded by her family, who are descended from the courageous girl who saved humanity.

Here is the rephrased section:

As it becomes clear, Nizam masterminded the siege of Alamut with a singular purpose: to track down the elusive Sandglass and manipulate its ancient sands to alter a pivotal moment from his youth, where he bravely saved Sharaman from a ferocious lion’s jaws, thereby ensuring his own ascension to the throne. This realization sets Tamina on a path of selfless devotion, as she is willing to forfeit her life to return the dagger to its sacred resting place, aware that unleashing the sands would spell catastrophe for the world.

As they near their destination, Nizam’s treachery unfolds, and Tamina finds herself captured by Sheik Amar, only to be beset by Hassansins. Dastan seizes the dagger to vanquish his foes, then convinces Amar to guide them to the sacred site where the dagger can be forever locked away from human grasp.

Meanwhile, Garsiv’s soldiers close in on Dastan, but he skillfully allays their suspicions, revealing Nizam’s true intentions. However, the Hassansins intervene, claiming the dagger and exacting a terrible toll: Garsiv’s life. United with Sheik Amar, Susu, and his retinue, Dastan and Tamina make their way back to Alamut, ultimately recovering the dagger at the cost of Susu’s sacrifice.

With the dagger in hand, Dastan uses its power to reveal his innocence to Tus, only for Nizam to strike down Tus and claim the dagger for himself. As Nizam leaves Dastan to die, Tamina intervenes, saving him from certain doom.

Together, they venture into Alamut’s ancient catacombs, confronting and defeating the Hassansin leader before reaching the fabled Sandglass chamber. There, Nizam unleashes the sands, triggering a catastrophic countdown. As Dastan and Tamina confront their nemesis, she sacrifices herself to give him a chance to stop the impending apocalypse.

With the dagger freed from the Sandglass, time rewinds to just after the siege of Alamut, erasing all that has transpired. Dastan reunites with his brothers, exposing Nizam’s treachery and bringing about his downfall at Tus’ hands.

As a gesture of goodwill for the destruction of her city, Tus proposes a union between Dastan and Tamina, which they accept. As they converse in the aftermath, Dastan hints at his understanding of the dagger’s power, looking forward to a future together with his beloved wife.