The King's Daughter
By Tara McNamara,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Dreamy historical fantasy questions science; guns used.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The King's Daughter
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Beautiful!
Great preteen and teenage family movie.
What's the Story?
Adapted from Vonda N. McIntyre's 1997 Nebula Award-winning novel The Moon and the Sun, THE KING'S DAUGHTER follows Marie-Josephe (Kaya Scodelario), who's unaware that she is, indeed, the daughter of King Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan), as she was raised in a convent with the belief that she's an orphan. But then the king retrieves her to introduce her to life at the Palace of Versailles while also carrying out a plan to complete his quest for immortality by stealing the life force of a mermaid (Bingbing Fan).
Is It Any Good?
Mermaids, swordfights, and a "surprise, you're a princess!" story are nectar to certain kids. And this historical fantasy adventure makes everything all the more enticing with gorgeous production design, costumes, and cinematography. While keeping things tween-friendly, the script cleverly nods at what those familiar with the Sun King know about the monarch and his reign, including his narcissism, his womanizing, his trail of illegitimate children, and even a scandal involving a quest for youth. Kids may be inspired to hit the books/Google to find out more, but just know that Louis was a complicated guy, and not all of the stories out there about him are as kid-safe as this film.
Director Sean McNamara is an ace at turning true stories about teens overcoming adversity into films lauded for being both entertaining and appropriate for families (Soul Surfer, Spare Parts, The Miracle Season). Here, he takes a fun tweak on creating a period fairy tale while still using real-life elements. Part of that is the inclusion of merpeople, which was accepted as a very real possibility in the 1600s. That said, The King's Daughter was made in the 2000s, so the fact that it embraces a mythological creature as truth and leans into the skepticism of procedures during the medical Renaissance makes it feel like it might be trying to make a statement about modern-day science. While the character of Dr. Labarthe (Pablo Schreiber) is most definitely drawing the wrong conclusions, characters repeatedly make comments around the idea that science, especially in regards to medicine, can't be trusted. The King's Daughter was completed in 2015, seemingly delayed time and time again for reasons out of the production's control. These moments stand out unpleasantly in an otherwise magical adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea that history can be made more intriguing through historical fiction. What other examples of historical fiction can you think of? How does The King's Daughter compare? What's the potential risk of adding fictional elements to the lives of historical figures or real-life events?
How does Dr. Labarthe compare to the "mad scientists" of cinema and literature, like in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or even Captain America? Why do you think this is a commonly used literary device?
How does Marie-Josephe demonstrate courage, integrity, compassion, and humilty? Why are these important character strengths? Is she a role model? Why, or why not?
Talk about Marie-Josephe's humility. Why does it stand in contrast to how Magali describes those at the Palace of Versailles? Is there a comparison to today? What's the value of staying humble in a world that seems to elevate those who elevate themselves?
Did you notice any diverse representations in the film? How did they succeed -- or how could they have done better while keeping the film historically accurate? Why is representation important?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 21, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: April 19, 2022
- Cast: Pierce Brosnan , William Hurt , Benjamin Walker , Julie Andrews
- Director: Sean McNamara
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Gravitas Ventures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Book Characters , Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Compassion , Courage , Humility , Integrity
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some violence, suggestive material and thematic elements
- Last updated: April 28, 2022
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate