The Princess Switch: Switched Again is the best Christmas movie I have watched this year, and I will be accepting no arguments to the contrary. The movie could have been the kind of enjoyable mess A Christmas Prince was, and I would have still enjoyed it, because the standards for Christmas movies are basically cheese, cheese and more cheese, with a generous helping of romance.
Instead The Princess Switch: Switched Again manages something not all Christmas movies do – it possesses a great deal of heart.
Sure, there’s the typical shenanigans, the handsome but secretly only-looking-out-for-himself advisor everyone should see through but no one does, miscommunication galore, and way too many Christmas decorations – seriously, there’s going all out and there’s not leaving any space to walk in between all the decorations. But that isn’t all the movie is.
Instead the movie is a lesson on how to prioritize yourself, no matter who or what might need you, and isn’t that the best lesson for this very strange 2020? Stacy needed to learn that putting her marriage first wouldn’t make her a “bad Princess” and Margaret needed to realize that choosing Kevin and asking him to choose her didn’t mean giving up a part of her.
And, of course, Stacy and Margaret needed to switch again for that, because this is a Christmas movie and some shenanigans were needed. And of course, there’s a third look-alike, Fiona, who is kinda the bad guy in this film, though the kind of bad guy that is sufficiently sort-of-redeemed at the end of this film that I have no problem imagining a third movie where she gets the happy ending.
So let’s talk about what worked, what only sort of worked and what we hope to see for a possible third Princess Switch, as we discuss The Princess Switch: Switched Again:
WHAT WORKED
Stacy and Edward: I was worried they were going to get pushed to the side because …another switch, happily ever afters don’t make for interesting storylines, and yet …we got an actual storyline that wasn’t terribly hard to believe, wasn’t a breakup and it was done in a way that didn’t feel overdone, and that had the two characters actually learning from their mistakes. Imagine that!
Margaret and Kevin: I liked them more than Stacy and Edward in the first movie, and though I liked Stacy and Edward more in this one, Margaret and Kevin also worked really well at two people who just …thought they knew what the other wanted, and once they figured out that all their assumptions were wrong, were very determined to make an even more impossible situation work.
The switch: My main concern was the switch would not make sense. Like, why would they switch at this point, and how could people NOT figure it out? But the way they did it and the reasons they did it actually made sense, it was never supposed to be a long term plan, and the way Margaret was forced to fess up was kind of …fun.
Stacy and Margaret as real friends: I loved that their friendship at this point was still believable two years later, and despite the distance. It gave the entire thing much more warmth, and made Stacy’s suggestion for the switch believable. Besides, it was cute to see Margaret confide in Stacy.
Kevin with a beard: We’re just saying, we disagree with Stacy. The beard was A+.
WHAT ONLY SORT OF WORKED
Fiona: Girl, what was up with those clothes? And those henchmen? Like, seriously, is that the best you could do? And let’s not even go into how your plan needed a lot of work …you could have traded on your proximity to royalty and your influence to make a fortune, no need to steal from people! You need better advisors, for sure. And a different wardrobe.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE NEXT
More Stacy and Edward: No, really, I just loved the progress of their relationship, and how cute Edward was with Olivia. Plus, I love how the conflict between them didn’t get dragged out.
Fiona redemption: All she needs is better advisors, I swear. Besides, I’m not sure I’m read for a FOURTH lookalike? We can just focus on Fiona if there is another movie coming.
A Royal Families of Netflix Crossover: A CHRISTMAS PRINCE IN THE HOUSE! I don’t know where Belgravia, Montenaro and Aldovia are in relation to each other, but I don’t even care. Can we have like, a Royal Families of Netflix Christmas Extravaganza? Give the people what they want, Netflix.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again is available to stream on Netflix.
