Strong female character in distress

cinema scope

Damsel

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, and Robin Wright

Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Tagline: This is not a fairytale.

Subverting fairytale cliches and turning the princess from a damsel in distress to the hero of the story is such an intriguing, empowering idea. But it’s an idea that no longer seems novel. There is no shortage of strong female characters in everything from ‘80s sci-fi to the latest Disney adventures. Which is why just this idea alone cannot sustain an entire movie, especially in the absence of an interesting, intricate plot and a strong script. This is the predicament that befalls Damsel, the new Netflix fantasy that clearly means well but doesn’t seem to have much to offer beyond this narrow premise.

The titular damsel here is Elodie (portrayed by an enthusiastic but one-note Millie Bobby Brown), the princess of a struggling kingdom that is in dire straits. When a proposal arrives for Elodie to marry the prince (Nick Robinson) of a prosperous realm, she reluctantly accepts, hoping the union will help the impoverished people of her land. Little does she know that her fairytale wedding is about to turn into a nightmare. 

Turns out that Elodie is nothing more than a sacrifice, the latest in a series of offerings to a dragon (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo) meant to repay a centuries-old debt. But our protagonist has no intention of being devoured by a fire-breathing giant lizard. Instead she must MacGyver her way out of her predicament and get revenge on the people who put her there.

Damsel’s heart is in the right place and its premise does have potential, but its half-baked plot and dull script keep the adventure from giving us anything exciting or inventive. A whole chunk of the movie is just Millie Bobby Brown making her way through a cave survival movie with a conveniently useful dress and perfect makeup, and while there is no shortage of acting talent in the film’s cast – the terrific Angela Bassett plays Elodie’s stepmother and Robin Wright appears as the evil queen responsible for condemning Elodie to a dire fate – most of the actors aren’t given much to do here.

All in all, Damsel is too corny to really connect with viewers who have seen other movies explore similar ideas but with more nuance or at least woven into more exciting tales. 

Rating: 2 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 29th March, 2024 *

The tale of a tuatara

cinema scope

Leo

Starring (voices): Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Rob Schneider, Jo Koy, Allison Strong, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Robert Smigel, and Nick Swardson
Directed by: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim

Too many cooks may spoil the broth but it turns out that three directors can, in fact, make a fun movie, at least if Leo is anything to go by. The film sees comedy stalwart Robert Smigel teaming up with W/M Animation’s Robert Marianetti and David Wachtenheim (the latter two in their feature directorial debut) for some heart-warming drama peppered with silly humour and warm musical moments.

The animated adventure is the latest offering from the partnership between Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison and streaming giant Netflix, and finds the actor voicing a grumpy old lizard who stumbles into an existential crisis.

A 74-year-old tuatara, the titular Leo (Sandler) lives in an elementary school terrarium which he shares with his turtle friend, Squirtle (Bill Burr). The two animals have spent many years in the same fifth-grade classroom, learning and growing alongside the pupils but unable to live their free, natural lives.

But when Leo overhears someone say that tuataras have a lifespan of 75 years, the lizard is aghast that he only has one year to live and hasn’t fulfilled any of his goals and dreams. 

When grumpy substitute teacher Ms. Malkin (Cecily Strong) orders that each child must take the class pet home for a weekend, Leo hopes to take the opportunity to escape and accomplish everything he hoped to do in his life. But he instead finds himself bonding with each student and becoming an impromptu therapist to the kids, as each of them learn his secret: that he can actually talk.

A funny, emotional family flick, Leo offers some valuable life lessons for kids. Its musical numbers may be a little slight, but they are often presented in visually creative ways and serve their purpose in the tale. There is a whole lot of warmth on offer here, plus there is plenty of humour – some a tad juvenile, some perhaps a little out of place in a kids’ movie – that will manage to elicit at least a few chuckles. 

All in all, it won’t exactly redefine cinema (nor is it trying to), but Leo successfully delivers some wholesome, feel-good fun. It’s well-animated, the voice cast is solid – I’m not entirely sure if it's a complement that Sandler's voice is well-suited for an aging reptile! – and it leaves you with lessons that will hopefully help kids – and grownups – embrace their quirks and learn to love themselves.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 22nd March, 2024 *