Honestly, this film was a let down in many ways. Apart from it being extremely predictable (viewers speculated that the protagonist would befriend the dragon before the movie was even released), I didn’t feel like any of the characters were presented with the opportunity to change–except for the dragon, of course. Simply put, the movie didn’t make me feel very much.
The idea behind the story had a lot of potential (heroine plucked from her poor village, is presented with the opportunity to save them, falls in love with the person who ultimately betrays her, is forced to fight a dragon to pay an ancestral debt, surprise! isn’t killed by the dragon, takes revenge), which makes me think that the film would have been better suited to the format of a limited series or show.
An alternate format would have allowed for more time to develop the characters and their relationships to one another. The most important relationships being between Elodie (the protagonist) and her father as well as between Elodie and her sister. Both of which, I felt, were poorly fleshed out as I didn’t particularly care when they got involved in the conflict.
However, I cannot complain about the astonishing acting brought, in particular, by Millie Bobby Brown (as Elodie) and Robin Wright (Queen Isabelle–the antagonist). For me, a good actor can make you feel what the character is feeling in their particular situation. In the case of this movie, when the stakes rose, so did my heartbeat.
Additionally, I enjoyed the costumes and the set design. While I am not a professional who could tell you if the designers hit the nail on the head with the particular era they were going for, it certainly felt realistic enough.
I’d say go ahead and give the film a watch, especially if you are a fan of Brown’s other works such as “Stranger Things” and “Enola Holmes,” just don’t expect it to be a super memorable watch.
Macey Heys, Managing Editor
(Featured Image from Netflix)