Sorry, Prince Charming, this Princess doesn’t need to be rescued.

There’s non-stop action from the moment Hulu’s new fantasy adventure The Princess begins, and there’s scarcely time to rest until the end credits roll. Starting in media res, the Princess (played by Joey King, her character doesn’t have a given name) must fight her way out of a precarious situation.

Her arms in irons, and nursing a concussion, she wakes to find herself under the less-than-watchful eyes of a couple guards, whom she quickly dispatches. She obviously is trained in martial arts, and even bound can outmatch her assailants.

From there, she’s off. She needs to descend from her tower bedroom down to the first floor of the castle, where her family is being held. In a series of flashbacks we learn that instead of naming her heir to the throne, her father gave her in marriage to the odious lord Julius (Dominic Cooper), but she refused to go through with the ceremony. Her family, including her younger sister, were imprisoned, and Julius plans to forcibly marry his bride and take over the kingdom.

This isn’t an ordinary kingdom (thus the fantasy element) – it’s vaguely medieval, kind of British, but also diverse. The Princess was schooled in martial arts by Linh (Veronica Ngo), who along with her uncle Khai (Krisofer Kamiyasu), are trusted advisors to the throne.

The Princess plays like a combat videogame: she levels up everytime she moves down a floor, until it’s time to face the final boss – not Julius, but his lover, the whip-wielding Moira (Olga Kurylenko), who is easily the most formidable player on the field.

Director Le-Van Kiet keeps The Princess moving briskly from battle to battle, each one more inventive than the last. It’s not meant to be taken seriously; there are snippets of humor throughout, and enough girl-power action to keep interested audiences cheering. It’s also, despite streaming on Hulu, rated R, for bloody violence and language.