REVIEW: Netflix Serves Up A Dose Of Holiday Cheer With The Princess Switch
Two complete strangers, who look exactly alike, stumble upon one another and decide to switch lives for a couple of days. The premise has been done before and will be done again but this time a distinct Holiday twist has been added to the mix in Netflix’s new The Princess Switch.
Vanessa Hudgens stars in this original film as the two leads, Stacy and Margaret. Stacy is a baker in Chicago, still mooning over her ex-boyfriend and Margaret is the Duchess of Montenaro set to wed the prince of Belgravia. Stacy is entered in the annual baking competition in Belgravia and makes a spur of the moment decision to travel abroad and compete. While there she runs into, literally, Duchess Margaret. Margaret is desperate for one last chance to lead a regular life before her arranged marriage and convinces Stacy to switch lives for a few days. While they are living out the other’s life, the women end up falling for two very different men and must deal with the ramifications when the switch comes to an end.
Vanessa Hudgens is so fun to watch in these two roles. She easily navigates between the two characters creating the sense that there are two different actors playing the characters rather than one. Nick Sager and Sam Palladio play Vanessa’s love interests, Kevin and Prince Edward, and do well in their roles. My only complaint with the two leading men is we don’t see enough of them to get a back story.
The cast is joined by a meddling assistant to the king (Mark Fleishmann), a well-intentioned secretary to the duchess (Susanne Braun), and Stacy’s sous chef Kevin’s daughter (Alexa Adeosun). The three do just enough to drive the story along. Adeosun and Hudgens are adorable together and they have a specific interaction that will remind film fans of another tale of two strangers switching places.
The film is filled with the typical twists and turns expected of a classic Holiday romantic tale and Netflix, and Vanessa, do the genre justice. This will not be Netflix’s last holiday movie released this year, but if you are a fan of holiday movies this is a great one to watch.
The Princess Switch tells a familiar story without making it feel repetitive. It has everything you would want in a holiday movie and more!
Grade: A