Nov 19

Nov 19 The Princess Switch: Switched Again

Two years after they first swapped places, Stacy returns to Montenaro to celebrate Duchess Margaret’s ascent to the throne. But this time our lookalike duo is a trio, as Lady Fiona joins the fray to engineer a royal role reversal and capture the crown. Will this new glitch scratch an itch to enrich herself… or can a little teamwork turn this sitch into a happier ever after?

The%2BPrincess%2BSwitch%2B2.jpg — Christmas clichés:

Cute, Precocious Child
Sleigh Ride
Playful Flour Fight
Christmas Festival
Charity Work
Mistaken Identities
Carolers
Rekindled Romance
Mistletoe
…Santa?
Ends w/ Kiss or Rein

Our Thoughts

This 2020 Netflix premiere has many names in our household:

Princess Switch 2
Princess Switch Two
The Princess Switch sequel
Vanessa Hudgens’s collection of wigs and accents
Our Number 1 most-anticipated premiere of this disaster of a year

What you won’t hear us call it is Very Merry. BUT, that doesn’t mean we didn’t thoroughly enjoy it.

We open to a cartoon recap of the first flick, so for those not familiar, here’s the quick synopsis: Identical strangers, Chicago baker Stacy (Vanessa Hudgens) and Lady Margaret of Montenaro (also Vanessa Hudgens) switch places one Christmas so Lady Margaret can discover what it’s like to be a “real person,” à la Pinocchio. They just so happen to fall in love with the other’s male companion, which ends in one wedding (Stacy’s) and one long-distance relationship (Lady Margaret’s).

Once the recap’s finished, we learn the bad news: Lady Margaret and Kevin (Nick Sagar, big fans of the beard) broke up. Lady Margaret’s about to be crowned queen of her country, and that caused a riff that Stacy thinks can be mended at the coronation. Off they go with Kevin’s Cute, Precocious Daughter and Stacy’s hubby, Prince Edward (Sam Palladio, horribly forgotten) to play match-maker and crown-maker.

Christmas is shoved into the first 10 minutes, with some adorable decorating and the oft-ignored Playful Food Fight. Yet the season’s forgotten once Lady Margaret’s gaudy, identical cousin, Fiona (also also Vanessa Hudgens) shows up. Hard up for dough, her and her sparkly gang decide to kidnap Lady Margaret, take her place, and run off to a no-extradition island with some royal funds.

Phew. And that’s only the first 15 minutes.

Like the threequel to “The Christmas Prince” franchise, Netflix knew that a camp approach would work. Fiona’s trumpet soundtrack lets viewers know her character is evil…and walks every sidewalk like it’s a runway. And every montage, one that features our favorite modern Xmas tune, “Candy Cane Lane,” has fun energy and is carefully produced.

What doesn’t quite work is how much this one relies on the first. When …Santa? appeared, Jess squealed and hit Rob’s leg multiple times in excitement! However, if you don’t remember this pop-up character from the first, he’s just a cab driver with too many close-ups. And did anyone notice the coronation guests from Aldovia?! If you didn’t, and you don’t know this country, then their appearance and this map will make no sense:

It has the banter of the first and the catchy one-liners that’ll make you laugh. It’s just missing the effortless Christmas that made the first such a special, Very Merry flick.

Rob's Final Take: Merry
Too zany to be Very Merry. But for even casual fans of the original, this heaping helping of Hudgens is an absolute Christmas treat.

Jess's Final Take: Merry
A fun, campy romp with sprinkles of the season. It can’t stand alone, but if you enjoyed the first, you’ll be pleased with this second spin.