Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) is the elder daughter of Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone) in a poor but proud northern land. The lord arranges a strategic marriage for her in a wealthy kingdom to the south, where she will be wed to a handsome prince and heir to the throne. When Elodie, her father, her stepmother (Angela Bassett) and her younger sister Floria (Brooke Carter) arrive, they receive a cordial but haughty welcome from King Roderick (Milo Twomey) and his strong-willed wife, Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright).

Millie, initially skeptical of being bartered away like so much cattle, finds she actually likes Prince Henry (Nick Robinson) and is swept up by the romance of it all.

The wedding ceremony is lovely, and Elodie's family is sent on their way. But then comes a ritual on a mountain top and, after she and the prince mingle their blood, Elodie is thrown unceremoniously into a chasm leading to a series of underground caverns where a dragon dwells. Though injured, she survives the fall and meets the dragon (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo).

The dragon, still angry over harm that was done to it centuries before, demands a regular sacrifice of royal blood. Elodie, we learn, is only the latest in a long line of offerings. She escapes into the tunnels, beginning a long series of close encounters and unsettling discoveries, while the dragon enjoys the chase.

Damsel is not the Next Great Fantasy Movie, but it's a solid entry in the genre. The special effects are well done, the setting is well developed, and the heroine is well worth rooting for. The dragon feels real, a thinking and feeling beast that also can hold intelligent conversations with its prey.

Brown, who previously impressed me in two Enola Holmes movies, does a great job here; for much of the film, she is acting either alone or opposite a CGI monster, and she carries it with great skill. As Elodie, she is clever and surprisingly resourceful in a hopeless situation. And, even in her most terrifying moments, she exhibits an amazing degree of empathy for others.

Other characters are less well developed. Wright and Bassett in particular are underused here; so much more could have been done with such seasoned actors in play. Besides Brown, Winstone probably gets the most love from screenwriters, but even his role is fairly forgettable. I will say, all three of them do their best with what they were given.

All in all, Damsel is a lot of fun, and it provides audiences with a strong heroine without simply checking boxes. It never feels forced, because Elodie finds herself in a situation tailor-made for a young female character. I saw this movie likened to Dragonslayer meets Princess Bride, and the comparison is apt. If you like fantasy movies, you'll probably enjoy it a lot.