Damsel

I don't really understand why people expect masterpieces from every new movie release.

Damsel is fun, entertaining, special effects are really good, better than latest summer blockbusters with bigger budgets (despite what IGN says) and the plot delivers exactly what it sells. This is not an indie Oscar Winner movie and it doesn't pretend to be neither.

Stop trying to look for art in everything, like there are Bethoveen masterpieces and Tomorrowland EDM music to just jump around there are also movies to admire with all your senses and movies to enjoy on a Sunday evening.

The movie is good and it doesn't deserve to be bashed because people were looking for another Schindler's List on it.

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.

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.

Not sure why all the hate. Is it for everybody. No. But. For what it is and intends to be. It is quite good. Elodie is not a Mary Sue. She is not perfect. Not all knowing. And. She has an arc and growing pains in her story. I will be the first to admonish companies like Disney and the Ilk for interpreting beloved characters for modern audiences. This movie does none of that. It has created a heroin that has to use her wits and smarts to win and conquer her setbacks. In a good way there are cringe lines and moments. But. For the most part. It's good writing and it serves the story. I know we have been fooled once too many times. But. This is not one of those. The acting is good for what the story needs. We need to be accepting of new takes on old stories. As long as they don't try to change a beloved story or character to push their message or what their beliefs are. Again. Not for everyone. It is enjoyable.

I didn't expect much from this movie, but wow, was I pleasantly surprised. Granted, the sorry is fairly simple and somewhat shallow, but the action is incredible. The cinematography is fantastic and the special effects are phenomenal. Everything is seemless. Director Fresnadillo did a masterful job. I fell in love with both Elodie and the Dragon. (Millie Bobby Brown is much better here than in that lame role as Eleven in Stranger Things!) And if you find yourself rooting for the Dragon, don't give up! Not sure I like the very end, but I can't come up with a better ending myself, so I'm quite satisfied.

I don't recommend watching this with very young children.