"The Princess": A Fantasy Action Flick with Missed Potential

Hulu’s "The Princess" revolves around a simple yet compelling theme: "She refuses death time and time again." The villain, Julius (Dominic Cooper), states this outright. The script, written by Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton, often spells out its themes so directly that it can feel like parody. The film aims to deliver a girl-power message but ends up feeling manipulative and heavy-handed.

Plot Overview

The movie stars Joey King as the unnamed princess. She wakes up chained to a bed at the top of a tower. In an exciting opening scene, she takes down two soldiers who come to check on her, beginning her journey down the tower and fighting off enemies along the way.

Through flashbacks, we learn that the princess was supposed to marry Julius, who wanted to control the kingdom because the royal family hadn’t produced a male heir. When she realized she would be a silent partner to a power-hungry man, she refused. As a result, the King, Queen, and most of the kingdom's citizens are held captive by Julius, his partner Moira (Olga Kurylenko), and their incompetent soldiers. The princess fights to save them.

Structure and Pacing Issues

Director Le-Van Kiet makes a structural mistake by intercutting the princess’s action scenes with flashbacks of her martial arts and sword-fighting training. This disrupts the film’s momentum. Imagine if "The Raid" constantly interrupted its action with backstory. Instead of enriching the characters, these flashbacks feel like distractions.

Action and Performance

When the movie focuses on action, it’s quite enjoyable. There’s a standout sequence where the princess fights down a spiral staircase, taking on dozens of enemies. However, the film struggles to maintain this excitement consistently. The script isn’t creative enough to fill in the gaps between action scenes.

The real highlight of the movie is Joey King. She’s an underrated actress who takes on any challenge with gusto. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t fully utilize her talents.

Final Thoughts

"The Princess" has a promising premise and some entertaining action sequences, but it falls short due to its clunky script and uneven pacing. Joey King’s performance is a bright spot, but the film doesn’t give her enough to work with. If you’re looking for a fun, empowering action movie, this one doesn’t quite hit the mark.