Princess (2006)

2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Porn Royalty

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

This mostly-animated feature from Denmark -- a very disturbing story of a little girl raised in a world of pornography and violence -- seems interested in pushing buttons first and foremost. It's very controlled and deliberate and gives the illusion that it has something to say, but its point is a bit unclear. An ex-priest, August (voiced by Thure Lindhardt), adopts his niece Mia (voiced by Mira Hilli M�ller Hallund), after her porn star mother (voiced by Stine Fischer Christensen) -- known as "Princess" -- dies. August discovers that Mia has been abused by her mother's cohorts and takes it upon himself to destroy Princess's entire porn legacy, from her videotapes to her garish-looking tomb (decorated with giant phalluses). Fortunately, August is a kind of kung-fu superspy and is able to fight his way out of almost any situation. Unfortunately, he has a terrible temper and often takes Mia along on some of his rampages. This leads to the question: is this violence really a decent alternative to the porn stuff? The movie, however, doesn't seem prepared for such deep thoughts. It is admittedly gorgeously animated, with plenty of fascinating use of space and color. Some grubby-looking, live-action home video footage is occasionally used for flashback purposes. Palisades Tartan released the US DVD in 2009; extras include a theatrical trailer.