Rent The Princess on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Ben Lusti & Jake Thornton
Directed by: Le-Van Kiet
Starring: Joey King, Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, Veronica Ngo
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
When a strong-willed princess refuses to wed a cruel sociopath, she is kidnapped and locked in a remote tower of her father’s castle. With her vindictive suitor intent on taking her father’s throne, the princess must save the kingdom.
Verdict
Not that it's bad, but this concept has been done before and better. It's all mindless action, one fight after another. I'd like a bit more story, something to help us root for the princess more than because the movie tells us to. This movie inverts the damsel is distress concept, and unfortunately the action isn't enough to carry the rest of the movie.
Skip it.
Review
This is a similar concept to The Raid: Redemption or Dredd, with the movie consisting of what's mostly one long fight in a tower.
In the opening sequence, who we assume is the titular princes awakens. There's very little context, but it's clear she's a captive. When two guards enter the room, she's up and fighting. This isn't a princess looking for a savior. She can take care of herself, and the premise of the movie plays on the concept of a damsel in distress locked in the tower that needs a brave knight. In this movie, the princess doesn't need saving. She's going to take care of that herself.
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| Joey King plays the princess |
The princess fights her way out of the room and then down the tower. She's aided by secret passages and sheer tenacity. We learn through flashbacks that she sought training in martial arts despite her father's objections. He's the one that arranged the marriage despite her resistance. When her captors find out she's escaped, the odds look dire. Her arranged suitor sought to marry her as a power play. He's cruel, but I wish this did more to develop him. He's a rather boring, generic villain.
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| Joey King plays the princess |
This rarely slows down save for a few flashbacks. They seemed like filler at first, but seeing her training prepares us to recognize her trainer when she appears later. It also creates a scenario where her family didn't realize how capable she is. They're impressed, especially her father who discouraged such activities. This manages to keep things just interesting enough with scene changes and different battles. There's not much story other than escape capture. It's all action, all the time.
Despite the flashbacks, I wish this provided more story. The fights alone aren't enough to carry this. It relies solely on inverting the damsel in distress concept. Often a hero is only as good as the villain, and unfortunately this villain only exists as a plot element.
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