Two years ago — way back in 2018 — I had fully intended to review Netflix’s schmaltzy rom-com “The Princess Switch.”
Oddly enough, I didn’t review the Vanessa Hudgens starrer when it debuted (it’s not an isolated incident... I have a laundry list of things I have yet to write about).
The sequel, titled “The Princess Switch: Switched Again” has now dropped on Netflix — just in time for cozy viewing with a cup of cocoa by a crackling fire (if you happen to have a fireplace... my experience saw me sipping bottled water near a furnace vent).
Since these movies feature doppelganger-driven plots, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to review BOTH movies — a “double feature,” if you will. As a result, I watched both films back-to-back.
“The Princess Switch” tells the story of pastry chef Stacy DeNovo (Vanessa Hudgens), a Chicago-based entrepreneur who owns the shop Stacy’s Sweets and Treats (described as “the best kept secret in Chicago”).
She works alongside sous-chef Kevin Richards (Nick Sagar), a single father whose daughter Olivia (Alexa Adeosun) is an aspiring ballet dancer (she’s also Stacy’s goddaughter).
The setup is simple: Unbeknownst to Stacy, Kevin and Olivia have signed her up to compete in a baking contest being held in conjunction with a Christmas festival in the kingdom of Belgravia — that “only the best pastry chefs in the world get invited to.”
I just want to say, this is why I love these sorts of movies. Less than 90 seconds into “The Princess Switch” and I know exactly what is going on... I’m not confused by subtle exposition or vague allusions.
Our well-groomed protagonists are going to a fictional kingdom to compete in a baking competition — no muss, no fuss. I can just sit back, rest my mind, and enjoy the sugary goodness of it all.
Stacy is the perfect rom-com protagonist. She’s smart, cute, and has a perky personality. She has trouble being “spontaneous” and is trying to get over her breakup with her boyfriend, Paul. Stage set... I’m hooked.
Anyhow... Stacy, Kevin, and Olivia fly to Belgravia. They get to stay in a cottage that looks like a set from a Land’s End catalog, and enjoy the holiday charm of their bucolic surroundings.
As the trio sets up the booth on the set of the baking competition, one of Stacy’s former culinary classmates (and rom-com rival) Brianna (Amy Griffiths) bumps into her and soils Stacy’s apron with coffee.
Stacy scurries off to clean up and bumps into a woman in a sharp pink suit and skirt combo — Lady Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro (also played by Vanessa Hudgens).
The two are perfect doppelgangers for one other. Lady Delacourt is set to marry Belgravia’s Prince Edward Wyndham (Sam Palladio) and asks Stacy if she’d like to consult on her wedding cake.
The two learn they might be distant relations, and Lady Delacourt asks for a “favor.”
The duchess is set to wed Prince Edward on New Year’s Day and decides she wants to “switch places” with Stacy for two days — to get out of the limelight.
In exchange, Margaret sponsors Olivia in Belgravia’s esteemed summer ballet program.
The prince is supposed to be away from the castle on business, but after the “switch” happens, we learn he isn’t going anywhere.
Believe me, I know it’s ridiculous... but I don’t mind at all.
The setup reminds me of “The Brady Bunch” episode “Two Pete’s in a Pod” (where Peter Brady meets a fellow student who looks just like him). There are also elements pulled from the 1961 and 1998 flavors of the movie “The Parent Trap.”
You can pretty much figure out how things unfold. The duchess falls for sous-chef Kevin; Stacy falls for Prince Edward.
As a TV cord-cutter, I don’t have access to the Hallmark Channel’s annual marathon of Christmas-themed movies. A few years ago — on a hockey trip to St. Cloud, Minnesota — we actually spent a good portion of the weekend glued to the TV in our hotel room watching Hallmark’s holiday lineup. (Bridget has actually suggested checking into a hotel — even locally — over a weekend to re-create this experience.)
Many of the movies seen on Hallmark each holiday season are produced by the Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) — a company that has evolved into the leading distributor of Christmas-themed movies (for Hallmark and Netflix).
MPCA produced both of “The Princess Switch” movies for Netflix. They also produced “A Christmas Prince,” “A Christmas Prince,” “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding,” “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby,” “Holiday in the Wild,” “The Knight Before Christmas” (also with Hudgens), “The Holiday Calendar,” and “Christmas Inheritance.”
Keen-eyed viewers will notice a number of “easter eggs” in the MPCA holiday films on Netflix referencing the other movies.
It’s a “Netflix Christmas Movie Cinematic Universe,” and this video goes into detail about all the links:
Before I traverse too far down the rabbit hole, I should probably get back on track and dive into my review of 2020’s “The Princess Switch: Switched Again.”
After all the “happily ever after” moments in “The Princess Switch,” our protagonists are back for more “switcheroo” antics in this charming followup.
“But happily ever after is never easy,” declares Princess Stacy De Novo Wyndham in the movie’s opening narration.
“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” finds Lady Margaret Delacourt dealing with a bit of crisis. Her budding relationship with sous-chef Kevin is on the skids, and she’s uneasy about her ascendancy to the throne in her home country of Montenaro.
In addition, Prince Edward and Princess Stacy are dealing with struggles of their own. The two are finding it difficult to spend time together with all of their royal duties (along with Stacy running her bake shop).
Most of the drama takes place around the impending coronation of Lady Margaret.
Stacy takes a detour to Chicago to persuade a sullen Kevin to join them in Montenaro (hoping to rekindle the flame between he and Margaret). Kevin’s daughter Olivia (played by Mia Lloyd this time out) never sent in their RSVP.
The entire setup eventually leads us to a point where Stacy and Margaret switch places again — so Margaret can spend time with Kevin while Stacy tends to her doppelganger’s royal duties.
Also competing for Margaret's affections is longtime friend Antonio Rossi (Lachlan Nieboer) who is currently advising on her royal duties.
Complicating matters in all of this is the appearance of Margaret’s cousin Lady Fiona Pembroke (also played by Vanessa Hudgens).
The down-on-her-luck Fiona has resorted to petty thievery to maintain her posh lifestyle, employing her servants Reggie (Ricky Norwood) and Mindy (Florence Hall) in her antics.
Because of her resemblance to Duchess Margaret, Fiona hatches a plan to take the throne of Montenero, hoping to loot the royal coffers and transfer a “small fortune to an unnumbered bank account in the Caymans.”
As I’m typing this, I realize “The Princess Switch: Switched Again” sounds somewhat less “sugar coated” than the first outing.
But don’t worry, it’s all silly fun. This entry is just as schmaltzy as the original, dripping with over-the-top Christmas decorations, castles, trite dialogue, and syrupy sentimentality.
That’s what I’m looking for when I watch this brand of movie.
(You’ll also want to keep your eyes peeled for a cameo featuring the leads from “A Christmas Prince” during the movie...)
Some of my fondest movie-going experiences over the years have been to see “gentle comedies” that imbue the spirit of “The Princess Switch” movies.
I remember how much I enjoyed seeing “Father of the Bride” when it was released in December 1991. Bridget and I saw a special “preview screening” of the movie with “Beauty and the Beast” at the Westroads 8 theater in Omaha.
It was a terrific double feature, and serves as a reminder that compelling entertainment doesn’t have to be “edgy and provocative” to entertain.
“I wanted so badly to be the perfect princess and do everything right that I forgot about what’s important,” Stacy tells Edward in “The Princess Switch: Switched Again.”
“The Princess Switch” movies will never be mistaken for high art — and they are far from perfect — but the stories are enjoyable and the characters are endearing.
Both movies are the perfect Christmas fare.
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