Summary
Hulu’sThe Princessstarred Joey King as an unnamed princess fighting for her survival. However, the film was unceremoniously dropped from the streamer last year whenDisney purged content from Hulu and Disney+. Due to several contributing factors, the film was never able to get the solid audience it deserved.
The film had nonstop action, and King delivered as a princess with excellent survival skills. Like last year’sDamsel, the film subverted the damsel-in-distress trope by ensuring the princess was no helpless maiden. It smartly puts King at the center of the action.The Princesswas well-received by critics, with a 62% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. King delivers a solid performance and shows off excellent stunt choreography.
2022 Action Movie Removed From Hulu Finally Available Again, Writers Celebrate
After the original 2022 movie was removed from Hulu this year, The Princess is now available again, with the writers celebrating its streaming return.
What Joey King’s The Princess Is About
Joey King Delivers As A Warrior Princess
The Princessfollows Joey King as she fights to the bottom of a towerwhere her evil fiancé has trapped her. Each fight seems like a different level in a video game. The princess must defeat one hoard of unnamed bad guys after the other before making her way to the ultimate villain. Elements of the film are reminiscent of Bruce Lee’sGame of Deathbut in a medieval timeline. Director Le-Van Kiet is known for his martial arts films in Vietnam, andThe Princesswas his first English-language film. He pays special attention to ensure that the stunts are well executed.
Her tutor trained the princess in martial arts, which she adeptly uses to save herself. Joey King worked hard on the stunt choreography, which shines in her performance. She used hand-to-hand combat and swordplay throughout the film and had to carry much of the film on her back as she was the primary source of the action.
Why The Princess Is An Underrated Joey King Movie
The Princess Blends Medieval Storytelling With Engaging Martial Arts
The film’s unique blend of medieval storytelling and engaging martial arts sequences sets it apart from other movies in the genre. The director’s experience in the martial arts genre is evident, but he also seems to care about the story’s presentation. It is a visually engaging film in addition to being well cast. He assembled a cast that recognized the humor in the material and committed wholeheartedly to it. On the surface, King first appears as a standard princess trope. She’s a girl in a tower needing saving. However, seeing her fight out of the wedding gown forced upon her and working her way down a tower filled with increasingly difficult opponents was an exhilarating experience.
King’s portrayal of the princess is empowering and captivating. She was bruised and harmed, and her martial arts skills always seemed to be practiced instead of magically given to her. Her wins are hard-earned, and that reflects her dedication to martial arts. Despite some of the utterly over-the-top action, the character still felt grounded. She was simply fighting to protect her family. This very fundamental motivation makes her easy to root for.
The Princess Was Wrongly Removed From Streaming By Disney/Hulu
The abrupt removal ofThe Princessfrom Hulu, along with multiple other films and TV shows, was a disservice to the creators and the audience. The decision to purge the content prevents certain movies and shows from building an audience and gaining recognition. The purge speaks to a more significant issue about streamers' business models. Shows and films don’t have the opportunity to build followings if they aren’t immediate successes.
The purge speaks to a more significant issue about the business model of streamers.
By removingThe Princessfrom its platforms, Disney limited its reach and hindered the growth of its audience. Joey King had a breakout action role, and people could not go back and rewatch it because it was purged from its platform. The concerning trend of streamers prematurely removing content leaves the audience with fewer choices and stifles the growth of deserving films. It also limits the ability of filmmakers to have their work seen, ultimately leading to more work in the industry.
The Princessdeserved a fairer opportunity to shine. Joey King’s strong performance and the film’s unique blend of action and humor deserved a chance to build an audience. The film’s removal from Hulu raises many concerns about the industry’s approach to streaming and how some companies only view film and television as content instead of artistic works. Hopefully, movies will be able to exist on streaming in the future and have the opportunity to build a substantial audience.
The Princess
Cast
The Princess (2022) is a period action thriller directed by Le-Van Kiet. The film stars Joey King as a strong-willed princess who must defend her kingdom from mercenaries attempting a coup. As she battles her way through the castle, she confronts various adversaries to protect her family and reclaim her home. The supporting cast includes Dominic Cooper and Olga Kurylenko.
