"PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR" DVD: Shit Or Get Off The Pot (reviewed by AX)

PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR is the latest effort from German filmmaker Tom Tykwer, the man responsible for the 1997 hyperkinetic action film RUN LOLA RUN and the eerily disturbing 1999 drama WINTER SLEEPER. For PRINCESS, he's teamed up again with LOLA star Franka Potente to produce a totally fuckin dynamite love story that incorporates shades of RESERVOIR DOGS and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. If that sounds interesting, that's because it is. This is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. The story is highly original, the camera work and editing are very inventive, and the acting is top-notch. Quit reading this review and go get the movie. It rules. So let's discuss...

Potente plays Sissi, a nurse in a mental ward who gets hit by a truck one day while escorting a blind patient around town. In the nick of time, her life is saved my a mysterious stranger (in a tracheotomy scene that is gut-wrenchingly long and authentic) who disappears in the emergency room. After she is released, Sissi tries to return to her normal life, but can't shake the image of the stranger who saved her. She sets out to find him, and ends up getting way more than she bargained for.

In addition to being well-made and visually stunning, this film takes so many unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing. By the final act, I was unable to take my eyes off the screen. I was totally absorbed. And unlike RUN LOLA RUN, the subtitles didn't distract me from the action, as this film is more dramatic in pace (and more epic in scale). A kick-ass movie indeed, with a message we can all relate to.

I give PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR a 5 out of 5 rating for the DVD, because not only did the movie rock, but so did the presentation and extras. You get a director commentary, deleted scenes, making-of, and a few more odds and ends. Definitely worth owning.

(2.06.01)