Prince of Persia The Sands of Time

UPDATE: According to estimates through the holiday, Prince of Persia actually bested Sex and the City 2, taking in $37.8 and $37.1 million, respectively.

Forget Sex and the City 2 versus Prince of Persia. Despite the hype surrounding both of those films, this Memorial Day weekend belonged to Shrek Forever After. All together now: Huh?!

The family film continued its hold on the top spot at the box office for a second week with $43.3 million. That leaves Sex and the City 2 in second place with $32.2 million (a number that fell short of insiders' estimates); Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time came in third with $30.1 million. Something to keep in mind, however: SATC opened on Wednesday at midnight, which means if they had counted Thursday's sales as part of the weekend total, the ladies may just have been able to eke out a first place finish.

Iron Man 2 took fourth with $16 million and Robin Hood rounded out the top five with $10.3 million.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time teeters right on the brink of movie mediocrity. It's neither amazing nor offensively bad, the action sequences are entertaining but not mind-blowing, and the performances are fine but not nuanced. Using Jake Gyllenhaal's familiar face and jacked up abs as a promotional tool helps to tip the scales in the right direction, but ultimately it's not enough to keep the film afloat against Summer's heaviest hitters.

Gyllenhaal plays our scrappy titular prince, Dastan. Born a street urchin and taken under the King's wing as a boy, Dastan's lack of royal blood doesn't make him any less a part of the family, which consists of his two brothers and uncle (an always-excellent Ben Kingsley). That is, until he's framed for his father's murder and forced to flee the city. With only a mysterious dagger that can turn back time and a hot-headed princess in tow, Dastan sets out to prove his innocence and set things right — finding romance, hijinks, and some ostriches along the way.

So is Jakey G worth your money or not? Find out when you read more

The highlight of this weekend's annual WonderCon event was definitely the cast of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — namely star Jake Gyllenhaal. Before Pop and I went to a party to chat him up, I had a chance to ask him about the movie and his turn as an action star, and he also joked about being turned into a LEGO for the role and whether his education helped him prepare. Watch it below and then tell me just how dreamy you think he is!

I've been waiting on a trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for what feels like forever (more specifically, ever since those first photos of Jake all buff and shirtless).

The preview starts off strong, immediately taking us on an adventure quest that doesn't make any attempt to hide its video game origins. The effects are amazing, though I couldn't help snickering the first time Gyllenhaal speaks in a British accent. The good news is that it looks like the movie has some campy elements and a sense of humor along with all that in-your-face flair. We'll have to wait until Memorial Day 2010 for more, but to see the trailer, just read more