The Princess Switch (2018)

Number Rolled: 84

Movie Name/Year: The Princess Switch (2018)

Tagline: None

Genre: Romance

Length: 101 minutes

Rating: TV-PG

Production Companies: Netflix

Producer: Razvan Badea, Vince Balzano, Robin Bernheim, Cristian Bostanescu, Miruna Gheorghiu, Eric Jarboe, Amy Krell, Brad Krevoy, Christopher Landry, Carolyn McLeod, Linda L. Miller, Amanda Phillips Atkins, Jimmy Townsend, Franklin A. Vallette

Director: Mike Rohl

Writer: Robin Bernheim, Megan Metzger

Actors: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar, Alexa Adeosun, Suanne Braun, Mark Fleischmann, Sara Stewart, Pavel Douglas, Amy Griffiths, Robin Soans, Ashley Emerson, Calliope Jane Taylor, Jo Cameron Brown, Clara Ciobanu

Blurb from Netflix: When a down-to-earth Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess discover they look like twins, they hatch a Christmastime plan to trade places.

Selina’s Point of View:

I can absolutely see this film becoming a guilty pleasure for me. That said, it’s not good.

Precisely the reason it would be a ‘guilty’ pleasure is because I know there aren’t many redeeming factors in The Princess Switch.

It showcases a regurgitated and unoriginal plot with very little to distinguish it from all its predecessors. The scenes that did set it apart included some expectation subversion at the end. Unfortunately, that specific brand of diverting from expectations lessened the conflict and quality of the film.

The Princess Switch was also kind of cringey.

Despite all that, I enjoyed it.

The acting elevated it more than you’d expect. It was endearing.

Don’t expect this movie to be a game changer. Don’t expect it to challenge you. As long as you go into it knowing that it’s pure fluff with minimal substance – and that you’d be better off watching The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) or It Takes Two (1995) – then it makes for decent background noise.

Cat’s Point of View:

I have to say; this movie was quite adorable.

That being said, I have to warn you that anyone watching this expecting anything to diverge from the recipe and trope standards for this sort of movie will likely be vastly disappointed. It’s not the first telling of this story, or even the most original spin on it. In fact, I really felt like I’d seen most of the story before – even just in the movies we’ve recently watched and reviewed this month.

I have to take that with a small grain of salt, considering we’re watching quite a few movies in the holiday theme for December. There’s going to be some overlap and I don’t want to let that slant my view on any of the films.

What this does allow for, however, is a good gauge to enjoyability. If everything within the framework of the movie has been ‘done before,’ and the production as a whole is still a good experience; then I’d have to say that it was successful.

This movie is certainly that. I fell in love with it, much like you see a cute fuzzy animal that you just want to cuddle. It evoked warm feelings and the familiarity was more like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes rather than enduring something onerously redundant.

The tale is also decidedly family friendly! If you’re looking for something cute to enjoy on a cold night with a warm drink – this one’s worth a shot.

Languages

Speech Available: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Subtitles Available: French, English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 89%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 53%

Metascore – None

Metacritic User Score – 5.7/10

IMDB Score – 6.0/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

Movie Trailer: