Damsel

Fantasy isn't my favorite genre, but I thought this one was a lot of fun. LOTR or Willow it is not. I highly doubt it will stand the test of time because it lacks the depth and complexity of great fantasy movies. Even so, it was (for me, anyway) a nail-biter and a perfect low-investment, high-velocity movie for a night when you just want pure entertainment. There are a few missteps that made me roll my eyes a bit, such as Brown's overdone makeup, but I wasn't expecting great art. My only regret is that I watched it right before bedtime, because it was so exciting that I had a hard time falling asleep and sleeping deeply.

Damsel really isn't as subversive as it thinks it is and takes way too long to get going, wasting the first 30 minutes on a twist so obvious the trailer didn't even bother to hide it. Once it actually gets to the central idea of cat and mouse between a Princess and a Dragon it's a lot stronger, powering through on the momentum of the endless chase.

Despite a few big names in the supporting cast, Millie Bobby Brown really carries this. There's some really clunky lines of dialogue here and she delivers them with enough conviction to make them work. Shohreh Aghdashloo voicing the Dragon is inspired casting that really helps it get going after the weak opening.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's direction does a lot to help this Netflix original come closer to looking like a real movie compared to a lot of what's come before. It essentially spends the entire run time alternating between some solid sets, locations and distractingly low quality CG with some good individual set pieces and ideas which remind you this is the director of 28 Weeks Later.

If you don't like Fantasy movies this one isn't one for you but if you're easily entertained by dragons and such Damsel is worth a watch. I like that kind of stuff so I was entertained. Millie Bobby Brown is still a young actress and since the excellent series Stranger Things it's obvious she will get a lot of roles in the future. She's definitely eye candy and isn't a bad actress. The movie is mostly about her so she has a lot of screen time. The special effects and CGI's were of good quality. The story is simple and easy to follow. You just have to be a fan of the Fantasy genre otherwise you won't like this movie. It's fun to watch in my opinion.

I'll be honest I am not the target audience of this film whatsoever. I only ended up giving it a chance, was due to its relatively good trailer that made me very intrigued.

I didn't have any expectations going in, hope for the best but expect the worst. Overall this film is decent. It's not splitting the atom and not gonna redefine cinema in anyway however it does its job. Good acting, easy story to follow, great CGI and production design plus finishes in under 2 hours.

Off topic but if this isn't an audition for playing Wonder Woman in the future, I don't know what is. I thought Millie Bobby Brown was very comfortable and believable in this lead role. More action centric roles in the future?

60% out of 100, its not just Netflix trying to be Disney, there is a bit more to it. With the correct target audience this film will blow up probably. Not every film needs to be pushing the boundaries. This one certainly stays in it's lane and delivers a solid product.

You get what's promised: a well produced movie centered on the struggle between a princess with a strong sense of honor and the dragon to whom she was to be sacrificed.

The timing and pace of the story is well balanced. A straight forward simple plot, basic dialogue, and surface-level only character development in keeping with the kind of fairy tale stories it is based with a little twist on the old tales in that the princess finds her own strength and makes her own choices.

Locations, sets, costuming and CGI were all well done and everyone delivered solid performances.

It's not "Reign of Fire", more like a "Snow White", so don't overthink it or expect anything groundbreaking and just watch an entertaining movie.