Damsel review

Damsel does enough things well enough to warrant a watch. It’s a solid fantasy film for genre fans yet its flaws hold it back from soaring higher.

Given the premise — a young woman gets her fairy tale early on only to watch it turn into a nightmare — there seems an easy audience for it. This is where Damsel gets complicated.

It’s too violent for younger, less discerning viewers. Characters get impaled, squashed, charbroiled or otherwise having their bodies melted. The plot is probably too simplistic for older viewers who question if it’s really been that long since Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets arrived in theaters?

Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) stars as Elodie, the oldest of two daughters of Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone, Black Widow). Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) establishes Elodie is not some preening, singing to woodland creatures protagonist. Elodie is out chopping wood to help her father’s kingdom. Times have been rough, and citizens are departing with resources dwindling.

Good news might be on the horizon, however. An emissary for Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright) has a golden ticket for Bayford’s kingdom. She’s accepted Bayford’s offer of Elodie’s hand to marry Prince Henry (Nick Robinson). This would immediately stabilize Bayford’s land and make it prosperous again.

Elodie’s stepmother, Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), was initially on board with the marriage. Now she’s less certain after a dismissive conversation with the queen. Lady B warns Elodie she doesn’t have to go through with it. Nice way to buck all kinds of tropes with the stepmother being black and actually loving her stepdaughter.

Screenwriter Dan Mazeau (Fast X) takes too long on the buildup since the trailer and Netflix synopsis spoil the twist. Elodie and Henry aren’t going to enjoy their future as the new king and queen. She’s only here to get sacrificed to a dragon (voiced by The Expanse’s Shohreh Aghdashloo). Aghdashloo is so good with this vocal performance with a silky, sinister delivery that makes the dragon even more menacing.

One of the major elements Damsel gets right is how Elodie is presented as a hero. Too often contemporary action films starring a woman make the hero impervious to pain. They shrug off every challenge and rarely have any discernible struggle.

Fresnadillo treats Elodie similar to The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen. She gets bruised, battered and literally burned. Elodie is able to show vulnerability — she’s somewhat naive, her fight strategies actually have flaws and she’s allowed to be emotional.

This gives Brown the space to make Elodie a far more engaging and nuanced hero — one who has to overcome legit obstacles to thrive. Brown is a convincing and likable action lead in a role different than her Eleven in Stranger Things and calculating protagonist Enola Holmes.

Ironically, Elodie still has to rescue one damsel in distress – her younger sister, Floria (Brooke Carter).

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At just under two hours, Damsel is too long for its dragon wing thin plot. Slashing 30 minutes out would have made the escape/revenge quest feel more urgent instead of a meandering stroll through a dragon’s lair.

The film’s biggest downfall is wildly inconsistent CGI. Fantasy films need an above average budget to avoid making genre elements look like they were done on the cheap. Sequences with the Dragon are unavoidable, but Fresnadillio shoots far too many exterior shots of the kingdom.

These weren’t necessary as it’s clear Elodie and her family are in the kingdom. Showing dodgy CGI-crafted castles, towers and boats was preventable. Those majestic sweeping shots could benefit the film if they looked good, but they frequently look like hastily digitally created.

Damsel has its strengths but it’s not the CGI. Those effects definitely should have been used sparingly especially since Damsel’s practical effects are solid. Amanda Monk’s costume designs are excellent with Elodie’s evolution from discarded princess to kick-tail warrior a standout.

While it’s got hard to ignore issues of pacing and distractingly inconsistent CGI, Damsel is a decent enough fantasy film for genre fans seeking something different from the norm.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Photo Credit: Netflix