The Princess Switch: A Sweet Surprise with a Dash of Love
This year, Netflix premieres more than one or two Christmas originals which is fine by me! One of them is The Princess Switch, a charming royal romance trope which, as we know, is one of my favorites.
The Princess Switch (2018) Netflix Review
Though she runs a successful bakery in Chicago, Stacy De Novo (Vanessa Hudgens) is anything but happy in her personal life. She’s still not over her ex, but it would seem he’s quite over her. Her best friend and sous chef, Kevin (Nick Sagar) tries to tell her it’s time. She needs to move on and take a risk. This is why he signs them up for a royal baking contest in a small European country. When their entry is accepted, Stacy reluctantly agrees to Kevin and his young daughter, Olivia’s gentle prods.
Once in Belgravia, Stacy experiences the surprise of her life when she meets Lady Margaret (Hudgens), a duchess who is her doppelgänger! To her further surprise, Margaret suggests they switch places for a brief interval. She wants a few days of freedom before she accepts her duty to marry the prince, Edward (Sam Palladio). Seems simple enough, until complications neither one expects arise from this switch.
One of my mother and I’s favorite seasonal pastimes is to lazily watch Christmas movies. Over the years, the number we watch grows as the networks and streaming services continue to up their premiere numbers. Not that I’m complaining, but I will say, the number is a tiny bit out of hand. One of the movies we watched together is this Netflix original.
Imperfect though this trope is, and made up countries notwithstanding, this film is all kinds of adorable. It will give you all the romantic-comedy warm fuzzy feels. There’s humor, Christmas-y cheer and of course, best of all, romance. Plus, as if one love story weren’t enough, this one gifts us two of them. To make things even more magical, there’s a castle, and a potential mother-in-law who isn’t trying to ruin everything.
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If there is one “big” flaw I could point to in this film, it’d be that some of the reactions are “off.” Since I don’t want to turn into a movie watcher (because this one is darling) who nitpicks instead I’ll focus on the good. One fun thing is the chance to see Vanessa Hudgens. I feel as if the High School Musical franchise (who else loved these?) is really the only thing I’ve seen her in. Because of this, to see her in an “adult” role was a great deal of fun. She infuses both characters with personality (albeit with some different quirks) and makes them equally likable.
Love Hallmark #ChristmasMovies? Consider #Netflix's 2018 #romance original starring Vanessa Hudgens (of High School Musical fame). #ThePrincessSwitch: A Sweet Surprise and a Dash of Love Share on XWhile the romance is a bit unrealistic, it too is a joy. I love the relationships that bloom from the pairings, and the fact that the royal household isn’t all out to get “Stacy,” and that the truth of her identity doesn’t come at the expense of her embarrassment and heart. There is some beautiful set ups in this film, especially those at the castle (as a hint, all I’ll say is one involves a first kiss).
If you, like me, enjoy the royal romance trope, you’ll enjoy this one. If you like any of the previous royal Christmas movies or The Prince and Me, you’ll like this one. The end is swoony and romantic which leaves its intended audience in a state of Christmas movie bliss. The Princess Switch is a gem I’d purchase on DVD if Netflix were known to release their films. For now, I smile as I think back on it, and am glad to know it’s available to re-watch at the touch of a button.♥
You can stream The Princess Switch on Netflix.
Photos: Netflix
I personally feel as though Netflix really upped their game with this film, and am so excited you loved it as much as I did. I know it’s exactly the kind of film people enjoy mocking for it’s over the top cheesey cliches, but I for one was absolutely swept away by both couple’s romances, and adore Stacy and Edward’s story in particular… like you said, the set-ups for some of their scenes were absolutely gorgeous, especially the piano scene (LOVE that the song chosen wasn’t one of the more overused carols), and twister scene, though the first kiss was also beautiful!
Thank you as well for crafting such a fun, well-written, positive review… made me want to watch it again!
I just loved this movie… story tropes and all. It’s charming and sweet and wholesome, and that’s what I love about it. Like you I too liked both couple’s stories, but I think *maybe* Stacy and the Prince’s “popped” a bit more. At the same time, I wonder if this is intentional since Margaret is supposed to be “proper,” and knows her duty, etc. Either way, the entire film is darling, and perfect. Definitely my favorite Netflix original this year, but to be fair, I’ve only seen two of their 2018 premieres. :D
The piano scene AND the kiss-on-the-cheek scene were probably my two favorites.
Thank you for reading, and sharing your thoughts, Kristy. :)
I just watched this around Thanksgiving time and it was my first Netflix Christmas original. It was so, so cute. Everything about it was fun and adorable and the ultimate Christmas movie that is just meant to make you feel good, so I’m glad someone else enjoyed it. I went on an immediate holiday film binge re: Netflix originals afterwards, and I think it may be my favourite of theirs, tied with The Holiday Calendar. They just give off that warm and fuzzy feeling that NEEDS to be in these types of films.
Also, how sad is it that I still haven’t seen High School Musical? I know, I know, I’m living under a rock. It’s doubly sad when you consider musicals are my One True Love. The first thing I saw Vanessa Hudgens in was… the Hollywood Bowl production of Rent, which I really didn’t like her casting, but I fell in love with her in the musical Gigi on Broadway and then again/further in Grease Live. (I am excited for Rent Live though cos she will be playing a different character that the last time she was in Rent and it’s much better suited for her!)
Wow, I’m rambling sorry!!!
I 100% agree! These feels accomplish what they set out to do. They’re warm and cozy, and have those feelings of romance that’s perfect for this time of year. I though ‘Calendar’ was cute too. A few things annoyed me, and I’ll confess I didn’t love the leading man character, but overall, I thought it was adorable. Hope you enjoy HSM if you see it, Jessica; I think it’s adorable in all its cheesy goodness. In fact, after seeing this, I would like to re-watch them just for nostalgia’s sake. :)
So glad you stopped by with your thoughts, Jessica! Never apologize for a long comment; they’re most welcome here. :)