PoP trailer online 3 November! We have snakes, tigers, arrows, demons, stunts, flirting, accents, sand, elmo, too much coffee

No time to put your feet up, there's a lot going on in Gyllendom again today and so we must get straight on with it. Consider this post a whiteboard or flip chart, with a flow diagram on it - Jake Gyllenhaal in the centre in a big bubble and lots of arrows sticking out of him, indicating Important Points to discuss. I have no laser pen thing to wave over it, so some imagination will be required.


First off - we do not have to wait until 2012 for the Prince of Persia trailer! No, we now only have to wait 5 days! A big improvement, I'm sure you'll agree. The trailer is to be released to anyone with a computer and some internet access on 3 November. By the sound of it, its release will be accompanied by a barrage of Q&As with Jerry Bruckheimer and Jordan Mechner. Nevertheless, I do not want to be the one to stop you from spending two hours (at least) in the company of John Cusack while enjoying the end of the world as we know it, so do still go and see 2012 if you want to get your first glimpse of Prince Dastan 20 foot high.


The movie and game sites are today spilling the beans on their first impressions of watching the trailer this week in the company of Jerry Bruckheimer, Jordan Mechner and Jerry's dog. The response is generally extremely good and Jake's interpretation of the Prince has been winning over many who had doubts - Jake has impressed with his athleticism just as the trailer has impressed with its hints of magnificent landscapes, action, deadly evil, smutty innuendo and a range of unpleasant creatures - to date, one tiger, one cobra, no camel, no ostrich. But lots of sand.


So, here, in no particular order, are some of the key comments from the reviewers today to add to the Jake Gyllenhaal Today Flip Chart Presentation.

Movieweb: 'it looked pretty damn good to me. We open on Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) standing atop a rooftop cathedral cross, in a slick 360-degree shot and then we learn through voiceover that the Gods have a plan for Dastan. We get a rather amazing shot of Dastan with the mysterious Dagger of Time... Still, this really does look like a film that could easily spawn a blockbuster franchise and - despite the numerous misgivings many had about the casting of Jake Gylennhaal - it truly does look like he pulls off this Dastan character in wonderful fashion, and they did a nice job in the trailer teasing the chemistry between Dastan and white-hot newcomer Gemma Arterton's Tamina.'


Fandango: 'One clip has Jake showing off his physical strength by scaling up a wall, while arrows whiz by all around him. Jake and Gemma have a few comical, flirtatious moments, trying to one-up each other in zippy comebacks, and in the trailer's last few cuts, we see a scene of the two of them in a temple that's falling apart. The sand around them starts to sink in, more arrows whiz by and a destructive whirlwind finishes it off.'

Collider: 'Another thing I really liked about the footage is it showed the way the movie is incorporating aspects of the video game. In some shots you’ll see Gyllenhaal jump from ledge to ledge like you do in the game. Of course it’s important to point out that almost any movie can be made to look great in a trailer. But with Jerry Bruckheimer’s track record, I’m extremely confident this is going to be a huge movie next summer. The trailer has blockbuster written all over it.'


Joystiq: 'There is plenty of "platforming" in here, where The Prince leaps, jumps, chimneys down walls, and narrowly escapes nefarious traps. That's a nice nod to the game, which first appeared on home computers back in 1989. You'll also hear a couple of familiar sound effects, like the psssshwt! of an arrow as it narrowly misses The Prince. The trailer was filled with heroic action featuring a very ripped Jake Gyllenhaal, performing everything you'd expect from the franchise's protagonist: sword fighting; wooing Princess Tamina, sweeping back his emo hair and ... err, more jumping. Lots of jumping. There's also a some witty repartee between Dastan and Tamina, a la Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood. What better movie to emulate?'


Destructoid: 'As a fan of the ridiculous acrobatics in the games, one of the aspects I was specifically watching for in the trailer was the stuntwork. As expected, the action is heavy on the CG, but as a result the free running in the trailer is as unbelievable as in the games, if not more so. Some specific moves shown off in the trailer will be familiar to fans of the games, while others are so fantastic that a game would be hard pressed to replicate them outside of a cut-scene or quick time event. Suffice it to say that I was pleased with the quality and density of acrobatic stunts in the trailer, and I hope that the movie maintains both... After watching the trailer, several other members of the gaming press seemed fairly excited for it. Rightfully so, as it does everything a good action movie trailer should -- it features fantastic locations, impossible stunts, a brief overview of an interesting story, and a hint of romance.'


A full account of the banter between Jake and Gemma comes from IGN and remember - this is Jake speaking the Queen's Tongue. I nervously await hearing what I'm reading.

'The trailer shows several scenes in which Tamina and the Prince bicker humorously. "You really enjoy telling me what to do, don't you?" the Prince asks. "Only because you're so good at following orders," Tamina responds. "Don't press your luck," he says. The Prince jumps into the air and is nearly targeted by the soaring arrows of nearby archer assassins. Tamina and the Prince are at each other again. "Who says you're a beauty?" he asks. "There must be a reason why you can't take your eyes off me," she snaps back, leaving him fluttered. A high temple guarded by some sort of demon. A character with red eyes and a snake is shown. In a related cut, the Prince appears to slow time as the snake attacks. Now the Prince and Tamina are wearing disguises and sneaking through the city. "Where's the dagger?" Tamina asks. "You're welcome to search me for it. You'll have to be very thorough," the Prince quips.'


IGN also likes how Jake delivers the Prince, who is 'played very convincingly by now-buffed-out Jake Gyllenhaal'. 'Gyllenhaal works as the Prince, despite our initial reservations. There's plenty of well-choreographed action sequences complemented by spectacular special effects. The chemistry between the characters is already apparent.'

Another interpretation of the dialogue at Coming Soon along with the final terrifying cliffhanger: 'The final clip in the trailer was the prince fighting off a rather large snake and the mouth of the reptile was open and about to bite him.' I recommend running in a zigzag pattern, Jake.


Love and Other Drugs! Yes, one minute Jake is a rogue prince who can flirt while defying snakes, arrows, demons, collapsing buildings and gravity - the next he's a viagra salesman in Pittsburgh. As we speak, the tweeting evidence suggests that Jake and Anne are filming in a church in Pittsburgh along with a load of extras who are being held in the Sanctuary. Fortunately for Jake and all, this is one of those churches that has a hot dog shoppe in the basement.


The next story reveals that it's no surprise that we have so few pictures of Jake on set in Pittsburgh. He's drinking so much coffee he's only seen as a streak of hot lightning running as fast as he can to the loo. Fortunately, this is to a cafe loo, which means he can restock on the coffee on the way out. 'It was our daughter Clare, celebrating her 10th birthday that night, who provided the best reporting of the evening. When I asked what she thought of seeing a famous actor on her birthday, she said, "It looked like he really had to go because he ran into Hoi Polloi." Coffee will do that to you, I explained.' You can read the full, very entertaining account here. It just shows how movie sets can divide families...


The recent picture of Jake Gyllenhaal and Elmo (strategically located in this post) has caused some to reflect on that fine distinction between a hug and a strangling neckgrip. Nevertheless, this photo of Jake and his furry red friend will go down in history as one of the cutest pictures ever taken by that device known to many as The Camera. While we do not as yet know the date of Jake's appearance on Sesame Street, an article today informed us that we must wait until December 2010 for the DVD of Shalom Sesame, which will also feature Jake.


Next year sounds like a bunch of Gyllentreats from start to finish. Those are the years I like.

That's it for now - presentation over. Thanks to IHJ and yesterday's links for the pictures.