Disaster. Adventure. Destruction. “Damsel” is a fantasy adventure many fans were excited to watch. The cast was recognizable and many were eager to see unique features in this movie. However, Damsel definitely became more of a disaster.
“Damsel” is about Elodie, a princess who is forced to marry a rich prince to save her little kingdom from poverty. While Elodie is not in love with this man, she realizes that she must marry him and put her own life aside for the sake of her people. After Elodie and Prince Henry become married, there is a ritual to be initiated into the family. As Elodie walks alongside a cliff, the Royal Family pushes her into the overhang. Soon, she realizes she is not alone as a dragon is hunting her. She is forced to fight for her life as many truths unfold throughout the film.
Millie Bobby Brown did an excellent job portraying her character Elodie and made the film believable. Her co-star, Brooke Carter, played her sister and the two had good banter and emotion throughout the movie. While there were not many characters, the actors and actresses chosen created a great cast.
While the acting was enjoyable, the storyline did not live up to the same name. The plot was predictable and not original. This film is a typical fairytale but with a few slight twists. It was clear from the beginning that Elodie was trying to play to emotions to survive, rather than fighting. Also, the film foreshadowed what tactics she would use to live and how she was going to avoid more problems which left some of the excitement and curiosity to fall short.
Overall, most of this movie was not distinctive; however, it was interesting to see a speaking dragon. In most movies including a dragon, it is not expected for the characters to have lines with the creature. It was refreshing to see that the dragon could feel just as many emotions as the humans and that it was not displayed as a monstrous creature.
With this movie not being completely unique, it was also disappointing in terms of production. The CGI was of questionable quality and looked slightly off in scenes. In some scenes such as when Elodie was running from molten lava, it did not seem to move at a reasonable pace. It seemed to slow down when it was too close to her. It would go from an unrealistic rushing speed to suddenly stopping or recognizably slowing. Many of the factors that played into her survival were super unrealistic.
When it comes to the main ideas of production, this film starts to regain a good name. The director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, made some good decisions in terms of costumes, camera shots and scenery. The physical appearance of the set seemed very realistic and had many details and the costumes were spot-on for the time period.
As there are many aspects to this film, it is clear that it is a disappointment to many, Rotten Tomatoes gave the film three stars and many thought that “Damsel” just did not hit the mark due to the storyline.
In general, this movie was not awful but might have been a waste of time. The plot was predictable and did not stand out however the message displayed was positive for audiences and did leave an impact. This film was a great way to display girl power and how men and women are both equally strong. While this movie might not have hit the mark, the theme was a good way to inspire audiences.
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