Culture news Heroic fantasy does not work for the star of Stranger Things. The Netflix film The Lady and the Dragon will quickly be forgotten
While it had everything to succeed, the new Netflix production divides critics. Between too simple a scenario and plot-twist galore, Damsel was unable to find his way.
Heralded as one of the biggest Netflix releases of this year, The Lady and the Dragon is slowly falling apart. While Millie Bobby Brown had said that it was a project that was close to her heart, she missed the opportunity to completely move away from her role as Eleven in Stranger Things.
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What is The Lady and the Dragon about?
The Lady and the DragonOr Damsel from its original title, is an American heroic-fantasy film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. It was released on Netflix this Friday, March 8. It introduces the character of Elodie, played by Millie Bobby Brown, a young princess about to get married. But while she was thinking of uniting with the charming Henry, played by Nick Robinson (Jurassic World), she finds herself in the middle of a sacrifice of which she is the main victim.. Faced with a fire-breathing dragon, she will have to use all possible stratagems to get out of this difficult situation. The film is led by Millie Bobby Brown who is both actress and producer, and who therefore had a say during production. Despite an attractive cast and a substantial budget ($70 million), Damsel failed to arouse love in the hearts of critics.
What does the press think?
Opinions on Damsel are very mixed. Some criticize the lack of originality of the scenario which sells itself as a rewriting of the cliché of the princess in distress used over and over again. But as Écran Large says, “it’s basically just a pretext for an ultra-calibrated action adventure film for and by Millie Bobby Brown”. But the real downside of the film according to critics is the overkill of plot twists and the accumulation of intrigue. As described in the IndigoBuzz analysis, we pass “from a fairy tale, to a chase behind closed doors to end with a survival thriller close to a nightmare”. But the film still remains a guarantee of quality on certain points.
What stands out, in addition to the costumes which had their little effect, is above all the performance of Millie Bobby Brown. Her talent as an actress is no longer in doubt and as Variety magazine says: “the star of “Stranger Things” has no trouble embodying the kind of independent and quick spirit it takes to survive a such an adventure”. Although it is not unanimous among the public, Damsel at least has the merit of presenting a resourceful young heroine who gets herself out of the most perilous situations. As the American newspaper concludes: “If the film changes the way young women pronounce the word “damsel” in the future – no longer delicately, but with a snarl – then it has shaken things up.”
Press notes
Note aggregators:
- Rotten Tomatoes: 56/100
- Metacritic: 46/100
The Press:
- Sense Media: 4/5
- Le Devoir: 3.5/5
- Widescreen: 2.5/5
- Collider: 2.5/5
- IGN: 1.5/5
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