“Damsel” is very pleased with how it challenges our expectations of a fairy tale.
“Many stories of chivalry involve the brave knight saving the distressed damsel,” says Millie Bobby Brown, the star of the fantasy movie which will be available on Netflix this week. “But this is not one of them.”
This is indeed true, as “Damsel” tells a story where the princess has to save herself.
In this movie, Brown is asked to carry most of the dramatic weight, unlike in her previous Netflix projects where she had a lot of on-screen help. Even though she has notable cast mates, such as Angela Bassett and Robin Wright, she is the one bearing the burden.
She received significant support in her previous projects, but in “Damsel,” she is expected to carry almost all of it, despite the presence of notable cast mates like Angela Bassett and Robin Wright.
If the screenplay by Dan Mazeau (“Fast X”) were stronger and the direction by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“28 Weeks Later”) were better, perhaps she could. However, the screenplay and direction are not as strong as they could be.
With these important factors not being at their best, “Damsel” ends up being a somewhat entertaining distraction, likely to appeal to a younger audience — a group maybe ready to move on from traditional princess stories to something darker and more intriguing.
When we meet her, Brown's character Elodie is not a princess, but a girl from a humble family in a place where people are suffering. Upon receiving a proposal for marriage to the queen's son, Elodie reluctantly agrees, understanding that it will benefit her people. When Elodie and her family arrive in the queen’s luxurious realm, there are signs that all may not be as it seems. Despite various warnings, Elodie goes through with the marriage to the prince, who seems to be a decent person.Lord Bayford and Lady Bayford, Elodie’s parents, are excited about the promised rewards for Elodie marrying the prince, despite Elodie's initial reluctance.
Even though Elodie initially feels this is not a good enough reason to marry, she obediently accepts her fate.
“The union will save us,” she agrees. “I’ve made my peace with it — my happiness is a small price to pay for the future of my people.”
Once the family arrives in the queen’s opulent realm, signs appear that things are not as they seem. While the viewer is repeatedly warned about the potential danger to Elodie, she mostly dismisses these concerns and marries the prince, who, it must be said, seems alright.
Without revealing too much, it is known that the heroine will encounter the dragon (voiced by the unmistakable Shohreh Aghdashloo) and must fight to survive the dragon’s hunt inside a vast maze. The fact that Elodie enjoys drawing mazes as a hobby foreshadows her ending up in such a setting. However, the screenplay and direction do not make clever use of this aspect as the adventure unfolds.
Elodie discovers some interesting things in the caves, but it would be better for the movie's pace if she met a group of talking cave people to help move the story along. Right now, it's mainly Elodie talking to the vengeful dragon from time to time.
Describing “Damzel” as having moments of progress followed by stops may be too generous.
Brown, who also appeared in MonsterVerse films like “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) and its sequel “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021), and is one of the executive producers of this movie, is not the issue here. She gives a strong performance, but not strong enough to solve the problems.
No one else has much screen time, but it's interesting to see Wright as an evil queen, especially since many people first knew her as Princess Buttercup in 1987’s “The Princess Bride.” She brings some of her determined “House of Cards”/Claire Underwood energy to “Damsel,” but that doesn’t change much.
With all its promising elements, you expect “Damsel” to rise above its average status, like a dragon emerging to unleash fire on those below. Unfortunately, that moment of excitement never arrives.
‘Damsel’
Where: Netflix.
When: March 8.
Rated: PG-13 for intense creature violence, action, and bloody images.
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes.
Rating (out of four stars): 2.
