Directed By Sean McNamara

Starring – Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scodelario, William Hurt

The Plot – King Louis XIV’s (Brosnan) quest for immortality leads him to capture and steal a mermaid’s life force, a move that is further complicated by his illegitimate daughter’s (Scodelario) discovery of the creature.

Rated PG for some violence, suggestive material and thematic elements

the king’s daughter trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

Escaping the clutches of what is arguably the cheapest looking advertising poster of the year, the production value brings with it a surprisingly detailed expression of lush and lavish escapism that properly channels the many stylistic vibes of the particular time frame. This is first and foremost seen in the three-dimensional concepts of the corresponding set designs, illustrating a blanketing of wealth and artistic merit that not only leap off of each frame with the kind of seductive vibrancy that allows us the intoxication of Scodelario’s perspective, but also conjure with them an intricate detailing that made the most of the 40-million-dollar budget that the production is saddled with. Adding to this achievement, are the widely reaching authenticity of the wardrobe threads themselves, forecasting resonance and relevance to the age with no shortage of 16th century French influence to the many draping jackets and free-flowing gowns that adorn the many collections of extras decorating each frame. Beyond this, while the performances are certainly hit or miss among the many eclectic personalities within the ensemble, the work of Brosnan and Hurt attain credibility in merit for attacking their respective roles with an air of lighthearted charm that chews as much of the scenery in any scene they invade with an air of endearing empathy between them. Brosnan in particular, while dressed in the most hilarious Victorian wig I’ve ever seen, has the time of his life in the role, delivering his orders and swooning various bed partners with the kind of magnetic charisma that is felt all the more valuably when his character isn’t on-screen than when he is, while proving the influence he has on any project he chooses to enhance.

NEGATIVES

Unfortunately, “The King’s Daughter” is marred by an abundance of creative hiccups and consequential blandness that has kept it on the shelf of post-production since 2014, for obvious reasons. The first of those is the laughably bad concepts and illustrations of its various special effects, primarily the mermaid herself, which even after three different cut enhancements off-screen, still looks like a cartoon persisting in a live action backdrop. Then there’s the computer-generated backdrop shots, like the one with two protagonists on top of a tower, which is as obvious and lifeless as a meteorologist giving a seven-day forecast, especially with as much of the contrasting hue of the actors remaining untouched in their manifestations. From there, the inferior side of the ensemble is realized in Scodelario, who continues her reign of mediocrity with a performance that lacks any semblance of emotional gravitas or even believability for the occasion. There’s no energy or momentary heart pertaining to her various deliveries, despite the character’s story taking her through some murky waters of dramatic emphasis. From there, the disappointment only continues, as the limitations of the story, mostly in predictability and pacing, keep it from ever producing an ounce of compelling drama or vulnerability for those involved, and made even worse by the 86-minute run time that minimizes the amount of time you’re given to properly live and grow with these storied characters. This is realized all the more with a climax that materializes at the fifty-five-minute mark of the film and underplays everything that came before it with abrupt transitions that serve as nothing more than temporary ingredients to the unfulfilling main course of a conflict. This dramatically undercuts the believability of the characters, primarily the antagonists, who lack the kind of motivation for being evil beyond just the necessity of the script calling for them. With a fully realized screenplay, aspects like these would mend seamlessly into the transition of the storytelling, but as it stands, this is a cliff notes version of a bigger story, and one that feels infinitely more memorable than this one. Finally, while the film offers periodic instances of enjoyment between the unintentionally humorous instances of lunacy littered casually throughout, the surface level direction here from McNamara keeps the material from ever reaching its compelling potential. Most of the problem certainly pertains to the tonal and genre ambiguity that the film never finds comfort in, but the stronger glaring obstruction seems to be the capabilities of McNamara himself, who usually a TV actor, here is asked to helm his biggest production to date, and for the big screen no less. Sean certainly knows where to aim the camera, but continually lacks the abilities of motivating his cast and enhancing his narrative for the transferrable energy of the audience watching beyond, creating a dully derivative experience that feels like Cinderella meets The Little Mermaid, without any of the charm and cadence of those prominent predecessors.

OVERALL

“The King’s Daughter” is typical January fodder, but of the 2014 variety. After sitting on the shelf for eight years, the film is brought to light with an underwhelming story, lifeless special effects, and coldly confinement of a titular performance replicating the same shivering waters that surrounds its prominent setting. Though remotely saved from notorious infamy as a result of its brief run time, the film never finds the heart of its narrative, and in turn cements another dud on delivery for McNamara whose presence isn’t enough to fill the throne of royalty.

My Grade: 3/10 or D-