Name: The King's Daughter
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Family
Released: 2022-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scodelario, Benjamin Walker, William Hurt, Julie Andrews

The opening scene of The King’s Daughter is a muddled mess: King Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan), clad in opulent finery, strides through a dimly lit hall, his voice booming as he commands the capture of a mermaid. The camera lingers on Fan Bingbing’s ethereal creature, but the moment lacks clarity—is this grandeur or absurdity? The film never decides.

Based on Vonda McIntyre’s novel The Moon and the Sun, Sean McNamara’s adaptation is a disjointed fantasy-adventure that stumbles between historical drama and fairy tale. King Louis XIV, obsessed with immortality, captures a mermaid to steal her life force, but his illegitimate daughter Marie-Josephe (Kaya Scodelario) complicates matters by discovering the creature. The premise is rich with potential—mermaids, royalty, and moral dilemmas—but the execution falters under a cluttered script and uncertain direction.

McNamara’s film suffers from an identity crisis. One moment, it aims for the grandeur of Pirates of the Caribbean, with sweeping shots of Versailles and dramatic musical swells; the next, it veers into family-friendly whimsy, as if unsure whether to court adult audiences or children. The tone wavers so much that even Pierce Brosnan’s commanding presence can’t anchor it. His Louis XIV is a mix of regal authority and cartoonish villainy, never fully convincing. Scodelario fares better, bringing quiet intensity to Marie-Josephe, but her character is sidelined by the film’s overstuffed plot.

The visuals are the film’s strongest suit. The mermaid’s underwater lair is a standout—glowing bioluminescent plants and eerie shadows create a mesmerizing contrast with the oppressive grandeur of Versailles. However, these moments are too few. The action sequences, meant to thrill, feel rushed and incoherent, as if edited haphazardly in post-production (a criticism echoed by critics on Rotten Tomatoes). The soundtrack, while lush, often overpowers the dialogue, turning key scenes into a cacophony of noise.

The film’s most glaring flaw is its lack of originality. It borrows heavily from better films—Pirates, The Shape of Water, even Pan’s Labyrinth—without adding anything new. The mermaid’s fate feels predictable, and the moral conflict between father and daughter lacks depth. Even the family-friendly elements, meant to soften the darker themes, come off as forced rather than heartwarming.

The King’s Daughter isn’t without charm. Fan Bingbing’s mermaid is captivating when given room to shine, and Julie Andrews’ narration provides a much-needed sense of cohesion (if only for a moment). But these highlights are buried under layers of confusion and missed opportunities.