Most movies are adaptations of books. Damsel by Evelyn Skye is the rare occurrence where they wrote the screenplay for the movie and then got the idea to write a book based on the movie. Because I don’t pay as close attention as I should, I didn’t know this when I started reading it, but that in no way impeded my enjoyment of the story. If the book is even remotely close to the movie, the movie is going to be very entertaining.
Because it is a movie adaptation instead of the other way around, Damsel is not a complicated story. At its core, it is a simple young adult action story. The damsel in distress saves herself and the kingdom while discovering the big bad dragon is not as bad as misunderstood. It is a basic story formula that always works when done well.
What I particularly enjoy about Damsel is that it tackles the trolley problem, albeit with dragons and princesses instead of trolley cars and pedestrians. It is a difficult conundrum that most adults struggle to answer. I like that it is part of the story, but I am not certain Ms. Skye truly answers the question. Instead, she finds a clever workaround to obtain the required happily-ever-after ending. Rarely does real life have such options, but then again, it is a story that involves dragons. We left real life a long time ago.
If Ms. Skye’s version of Damsel is true to the movie, I look forward to watching the movie. Elodie is fierce, unrelenting, and loyal, and I know Millie Bobby Brown excels at those roles. I’m excited to see how they depict the dragon and its warren of caves. Even with its twist on the trolley problem, Damsel is pure entertainment that should work well on the screen.
Related Stories
- Gimme all the death magic and love triangles
- A Stunning Story
- Jennifer Estep does it again
