In a fictional kingdom, a coup d’état unfolds as a ruthless tyrant seizes power. His marriage proposal is rejected by the local princess (Joey King), a skilled warrior who decides to save her country and prove her worth to her king-father.
Joey King as the princess in “The Princess”
In one scene from “The Princess,” the unnamed protagonist, after a fierce battle, grabs a mug from the guards, takes a swig, and burps with well-deserved satisfaction. “That’s what I needed,” she declares before resuming her killing spree. Films with feminist reinterpretations of traditionally masculine genres are still desperately needed, it seems, until the questions of “why” and the whining about “agenda” and the cancel culture of real men cease. But what if your entire project feels like the work of a novice developer who hastily cobbled together a video game and proudly presented it to the public? You get “The Princess,” so “necessary” that it instantly vanishes from memory.
The film’s director, Le-Van Kiet, rose to fame with “Furie,” the highest-grossing Vietnamese film of all time. From that film, he brought Veronica Ngo, who played the lead role, to “The Princess” as the heroine’s mentor. Martial arts serve as a vital addition to “The Princess,” sometimes even successful. However, as soon as their jurisdiction ends, a chaotic mix of tiresome flashbacks, attempts at humor, and recognizable plot potholes begins. The filmmakers are so focused on the central character’s emancipation that viewers don’t even learn her name until the end credits, accompanied by a syrupy cover of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”: “Hey, little sister, what Superman?” The little sister doesn’t need anyone anymore, dude. Open your eyes, it’s 2022, and girl power and total anonymity are in vogue.
Veronica Ngo as Linh in “The Princess”
A Princess, But Not the Fairy Tale Kind
In principle, all the mercenary enthusiasm fades away during the release preparation and the decision by 20th Century Studios to release the film directly on streaming, as a large box office return was never expected. So why waste effort and promotion on a craft that virtually no one in the audience, including the creators themselves (incredibly, also men, including the screenwriters), will remember? However, Joey King, a representative of the new Hollywood, the star of the popular series “The Act” and the teen trilogy “The Kissing Booth,” is worth catching a glimpse of in “The Princess.” With a skillful script and non-stereotypical characters, King deserves to lead more than one action franchise in the future. The actress demonstrates skillful martial arts and manages to insert a couple of forced gags, which still seem quite appropriate.
Supporting Cast and Overall Impression
Dominic Cooper from “Preacher” (the cunning sociopath) and Olga Kurylenko as his assistant/lover appear in supporting roles. The latter has moved from Taskmaster in Marvel to another mainstream quagmire, from which there may be no escape. Otherwise, aside from the unremarkable sets, costumes, and effects, “The Princess” doesn’t so much debunk the trope of the conditional “damsel in distress” as add problematic layers to it. Fulfilling her dream of becoming the heir to the throne, the unnamed royal saved her family, country, and herself, becoming another Lara Croft of the first caricatured kind, with bland graphics and incomprehensible ambitions (a mandatory stereotypical Asian teacher as a gift). Corporations, of course, could come up with and invest in a better plot, but it’s just not profitable. What remains are momentary and low-budget vignettes, where, if desired, one should be thankful for the R rating and slightly more blood than usual. Otherwise, “The Princess” shouldn’t expect to be added to the Disney fairy tale canon, and that’s for the best.