The Princess gives the damsel in distress a sword and bloody vengeance in an action-packed update of fairy tale tropes. Joey King cuts through a swath of baddies to rescue her family and kingdom from a repugnant suitor. The stale misogyny of a weak girl waiting for a gallant savior gets literally chucked out of a castle window. King is ferocity personified while still doubting her station in life. Should she have been a meek prize for a suitable male heir? The film reminds that taking control of your destiny is nothing to be ashamed of.
The Princess (King) awakens in a locked tower. She’s shackled in a white wedding dress on a bed covered in roses. The Princess groggily remembers the heinous events of the previous night. Lord Julius (Dominic Cooper) sacked the castle with an army of marauders. She wonders what happened to her parents (Ed Stoppard, Alex Reid) and her beloved younger sister (Katelyn Rose Downey).
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The guards return to perversely molest the incapacitated royal. They learn the hard way that she’s been secretly trained from youth by a formidable teacher, Linh (Veronica Ngo). The Princess is an expert swordsman and martial artist. Julius and his whip-wielding consort, Moira (Olga Kurylenko), vastly underestimate their beautiful captive. The castle is her home. She knows every nook and cranny. The Princess must escape the tower to find her family. She’ll need all of her skills to deal with an army of ravaging pillagers.
Joey King Kicks Butt
Joey King will kick your butt and break a foot doing it. This isn’t the cute kid from Ramona and Beezus. The Princess uses her knowledge to outwit superior numbers. She’s akin to a female version of John McClane in Die Hard. The Princess hides and observes before tactically striking. She’s also not an unstoppable killing machine. I winced as King is punched, beaten, and slashed in her heroics. The Princess definitely doles out more lethal punishment than she receives.
Patriarchal tradition and female subservience lies at the heart of the narrative. Only a male heir can be named as the next monarch. Her father loves his daughters but is disappointed they weren’t sons. Their duty was to marry and establish a new male lineage. The Princess’ refusal of Julius instigates the savage coup. She blames herself for the horror that has befallen her family and people. King emotes convincing regret for spurning her duty. Lives would have been saved by acquiescing to Julius. The Princess learns that she has a right to choose her fate.
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Incredible Action Scenes
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Vietnamese director Le-Van Kiet (Dust of Life, Furie) stages incredible action scenes. He uses slick camera work and editing to capture different types of battle. There’s close combat fighting as the Princess encounters baddies on spiral stairwells. Joey King aces tumbling school as she rolls around like a gymnast. Then viciously stabs unprotected heels, armpits, and ouch, groins. Her smaller size and lack of armor allows freedom of movement against much bigger opponents. Kiet shows prowess filming fluid situations with multiple characters. He should be in line to helm a big-budget blockbuster.
The Princess uses great symbolism to reflect the protagonist’s journey. Her confining white wedding dress and corset gets ripped to shreds as the plot progresses. She’s literally and figuratively freed from an oppressed life. The Princess is extremely violent but has a great message for girls. You can play dress up and defense at the same time. Save yourself instead of waiting for Prince Charming.
The Princess is a production of 20th Century Studios and Original Film. It will have a Hulu exclusive streaming premiere on July 1st.
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