Damsel

Today I enjoyed: Damsel.

Damsel is a Netflix Original, that was released just a few days ago. Starring a strong cast with Millie Bobby Brown, Robin Wright, Angela Bassett and the voice of Shohreh Aghdashloo it follows the odyssey of Elodie. I am not going to spoil the plot for you, but I bet you can foresee most developments, dear reader.

Overall I have mixed feelings. The story is nothing new, most elements are well known for this kind of movie. Some decisions of characters (including the dragon) feel dumb, and sometimes our main character gets very lucky, so the rest of the plot can happen. The CGI ranges from poor to pretty good, poor more in the begging, with huge landscapes and castles, but later, when the dragon makes an appeara...

Damsel suffers from the same issues that plague movies of this kind, and no, I'm not talking about the "woke agenda" or "muh diversity". I'm talking about bad writing. Too much reverse "show, don't tell" and too many contrived scenes and one-liners.

The CGI is good, the costumes and set designs are good, the overall plot is good, but the writing falters often.

I get that this is a PG-13 movie but teenage viewers aren't this dumb. Give them better writing. Maybe if we treat the younger generation like they have some intelligence, they'll start acting like it.

The end result is a movie that wastes its star power and the effort of all involved.

VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD:

1. I get they were trying to do foreshadowing with the opening ...

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/damsel-review-a-generic-yet-immersive-fantasy-flick/

"Damsel attempts to deliver a tale of empowerment and adventure within the rich fantasy genre but finds itself entangled in the ropes of predictability and missed opportunities for deeper narrative innovation.

Despite its shortcomings, the film shines through its technical prowess, from visually stunning effects to immersive world-building, and is anchored by Millie Bobby Browns compelling lead performance.

While it may not redefine its genre or leave an indelible mark on the history of cinema, its a pleasant home viewing with moments of genuine charm and resilience."

Rating: B-

I totally DISAGREE with the first review by thorian93. Yes, it is a simple storyline. Typical if you must say but it is a story that is NOT complicated and hard to understand. The story is not tangled that you need to connect the dots from past, future and the now kind of movie. It's simple but super. CGI is amazing especially the dragon. Eat your heart out thorian93! This is by far the best movie that I've watched this month of March.

Movie Review: Damsel (2024)

Plot Overview: "Damsel" is a fantasy film that subverts the classic 'damsel in distress' trope. Set in a medieval world, it follows Elodie, played by Millie Bobby Brown, who is tricked into a marriage with a prince only to find out she's to be sacrificed to a dragon as part of a centuries-old pact. The film takes a turn from fairy tale to survival as Elodie uses her wit and resources to escape her fate.

Themes: The film explores themes of self-reliance, empowerment, and the subversion of traditional gender roles. It challenges the narrative of the passive female character, presenting a heroine who is capable and resourceful.

Character Development: Elodie's character arc is central to t...

A disappointment.

'Damsel' has the right ingredients but unfortunately fails to deliver. Millie Bobby Brown leads the cast in alright fashion, her performance in the lead role is serviceable. She is probably the only positive that I hold for this 2024 film sadly.

My main negative is the special effects, which are quite distracting throughout - barely any of it comes across as convincing. The dragon looks OK, but the way it moved sometimes didn't seem right. Speaking of that creature, Shohreh Aghdashloo is a neat piece of casting on paper, though her voice was not the most fitting in actuality. The lighting also felt odd.

On the cast, away from Brown, Robin Wright is very meh in her role, while Angela Bassett feels extremely wasted....

Overall this film was just meh. The cgi was good, but the writing pretty much ruined this film for me, it was just so boring and so predictable. The dialogue felt very scripted and just did not convince, As others have pointed out as well, [SPOILER] our damsel runs around screaming for the first part of the film and then suddenly turns into a warrior.

Watch this if you don't care about the dialogue or story and want a dragon, good cgi and pretty landscapes I guess.

Moronic, misandry, mind numbing. The three M's of awfulness that is Damsel.

No amount of quality acting, can save this Damsel in distress.

Although far from a masterpiece this is a simple, straightforward and entertaining fantasy movie.

The story is predictable to say the least but I do not really care. I rather have a good, solid but predictable story than one filled with the usual illogical twists that the Hollywood hacks are so good at coming up with.

Fantasy is about magic, fantastic creatures and thus about special effects. This movie is pretty solid in that area. The special effects are overall good, not fantastic but good. Occasionally the dragon fire looked a wee bit wonky but overall they were fine.

The movie moves at a decent pace. Not too fast and not too slow. The story and the past is revealed at a rate and in a way that makes things fit together nicely. ...