There’s a dragon and while she is no true servant of evil, just what this serpentine represents suggests there’s more to this tale than meets the eye. I’d have to give it another view, focussing on this creature’s point of view, and trying to figure out if this beast was ever friendly to humans.
However, this movie is about a mortal woman who is no longer that lady in distress (as the title proposes). She’s able to hold her own, and I doubt she even wants to be married. The prince she meets is not all that charming once he shows his true colours. Also, I kept on thinking about DreamWorks Shrek while watching this work, and thankfully this live-action piece is not intentionally wanting to mirror the demeanour of Princess Fiona. Both are quite feisty, and I rather like it.
Here, this particular lady in waiting is more independent than one may realise; Brown excels at presenting this air of confidence and as for the story, it’s rather paper thin at times, and I had to see it through to wonder what kind of relationship she will have with the dragon. I had a feeling those two would bond, and rather enjoyed the tête-à-têtes that followed. This creature’s design is very remiscent of the one built and animated by hand in Dragonslayer (Amazon Link).
Although I could figure out how the two would connect without reading the book, to see who would come out stronger wasn’t hard to guess. In some ways, it’s like how Ripley would challenge the Queen in Aliens.
The only problem I had with the film is with giving the dragon a very human voice. I tend to prefer my beasts to talk at all, and prefer they communicate telepathically, or via some magical device. It only adds to the realism rather than being like Dungeons and Dragons, where species eventually learn the tongue of another and can freely wander side by side. But when this world does not borrow from that tradition, a distinction needs to be made.
As for those side characters like Prince Henry (Nick Robinson) and his family, they got what they deserved. Although they seem to be decent folk at first, they’re as slimy as they come. Perhaps they are the real beasts. What the royal family kept secret shows that they don’t treat their people well. I knew I would not like them at first glance. Props goes to director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for making that work. However, I wished there was more backstory to define how the accord came to be. A long time ago, humans and dragons were at war, and the way they made peace felt ham-fisted.
It’s doubtful there’ll be more stories to come. What’s presented as an epilogue sets up the possibility now that Elodie found freedom. She can do anything she wants now, but as for being a hero to liberate the world from Draconian rule, that’s up to author Evelyn Skye to decide if she wants to go further with the material. This book was published before the release of the film, and she was allowed to offer up new ideas than follow the screenplay word for word.
3 Stars out of 5
Damsel Movie Trailer
