“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” Review

Story posted November 24, 2020 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Courtney Benedetto

On Nov. 19, Netflix released the highly anticipated sequel to its original Christmas romantic comedy “The Princess Switch.”

“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” stars Vanessa Hudgens as both Stacy DeNovo, a baker from Chicago who became the Princess of Belgravia, and Montenaro’s Queen-to-be Lady Margaret Delacourt.

Following their last switching scheme, both women found love in unconventional ways. Their story continues when Margaret breaks up with her boyfriend Kevin, played by Nick Sagar, and prepares to take the throne in Montenaro.

While this sequel seemed to have the potential of being another heartwarming romantic comedy that explored the characters on a deeper level, it instead became a jumble of wacky events.

In the movie, the identical duo and Kevin meet again in preparation for Margaret’s coronation as well as a chance for a second chance at love, but the situation gets complicated when they decide to trade places again and yet a third identical character enters the mix.

What is better than two Vanessa Hudgenses? Three Vanessa Hudgenses.

Hudgens’ third character is Lady Margaret’s obnoxious and deviant cousin, Fiona. With her plans to steal money from the kingdom, Fiona becomes the movie’s feisty villain.

“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” clearly wanted to shock audiences with the complexity of three identical characters, but the story just got confusing.

This sequel took a huge step back from where the first movie ended.

The plot is just all over the place. The scenes rapidly change to accommodate all three characters’ storylines, which result in a lack of cohesion throughout the movie. Not to mention that it is very difficult to follow all of the switches between Hudgens’ characters.

This sequel feels rushed and jam-packed with useless details. Fans were anticipating a sequel that dove back into the crazy world of “switcheroos,” but what this movie delivered was completely mind-boggling and almost too unrealistic.

Most Netflix Original Christmas movies are cliché and cheesy, but this one deserves the award for the most chaotic of the films.

However, Hudgens deserves some recognition for her commitment to three unique roles. While it was difficult to keep up with the switches, she did a great job of staying consistent with the various accents.

One thing that the producers got right is the breathtaking sets. The movie is visually appealing because it is set in the beautifully scenic kingdom of Montenaro. The palaces are adorned with festive Christmas lights and decorations, which emphasizes the holiday spirit.

Everyone loves a good heartwarming Christmas story, especially with some romance, but the extravagant schemes take away from all character development and insight on the characters’ relationships.

While the wild twists and turns can be entertaining, the producers and directors did a poor job of executing the fun. Instead, they rushed the story just so they could fit in a third identical character.

The sequel truly fell flat, which is a shame because the first movie was the enjoyable kind of cheesy Christmas movie.

Could this story continue in a third installment? Yes.

Should there be a third “Princess Switch” movie? No.

Rating: 1/5

 

Courtney Benedetto is a freshman majoring in print/digital journalism. To contact her, email cmb7747@psu.edu.