Let’s admit it: we love watching holiday romantic comedies, especially ones that are good enough to laugh at but still enjoy. Last year, Netflix debuted some original Christmas movies that many were excited about, and this year is no different. 2018 has brought us four new Christmas-related movies; three romantic comedies and one family movie. Now that I have watched all four, the following includes my (non-spoiler) thoughts on each!
The Princess Switch
Initial Thoughts:
When Vanessa Hudgens first spilled that she was going to be in a Netflix Christmas movie with a prince, I was super excited. Then the trailer showed that she plays not one, but both lead roles! What could be better?
The Premise:
Vanessa Hudgens plays Stacy De Novo, a baker who has just traveled to be in an international baking competition, and Lady Margaret Delacourt, a free-spirited duchess who wants to understand the “normal life.” The competition takes place in Belgravia, the country where Lady Margaret resides, and they run into each other. Upon realizing that they are practically identical, they devise a plan to switch lives for two days.
Review:
Out of the four movies, I found this one to be the most enjoyable. It’s very predictable but has a lot of charm. Also, what is it with the combination of princes and Christmas? This movie was the only one where I was invested in the outcome of the characters. The only issues I had with it was the lack of addressing the fact that Stacy and Margaret look exactly the same. We only get a quick theory that is never brought up again. If you found someone who looked just like you, would your first thought be to switch lives? My favorite part would have to be the watching of a Netflix film within a Netflix film, which seems to be a new trend.
Would Recommend?
Yes! If you enjoy movies in this genre, I think that this a great movie to watch while decorating for Christmas or watching with friends this holiday season.
The Christmas Chronicles
Initial Thoughts:
As a college student I will admit that I was not thrilled to see this movie. On Netflix it has been put into the genres of children, fantasy, and siblings. This one seemed like it was just not going to be for me.
The Premise:
Kate and Teddy Pierce are siblings who argue and fight all the time. Teddy is rebellious while Kate is witty and optimistic. When Kate takes a video of Teddy and his friends that could get him in trouble, Teddy agrees to help Kate try to catch Santa Clause on camera.
Review:
I believe that if I had younger siblings and was watching this movie with them, I could look past its flaws. However, I was not. This movie was definitely written for young children, as it reminded me a lot of the videos that I see young kids watching: non-stop entertainment. Meaning that there is not a moment of silence or moment to breathe while watching this movie. The action sequences go on and on to the point that I was tired by the end of the movie. It also uses meme culture quite a bit and I couldn’t help but cringe when Santa said “fake news” and then talked about how the only time that he didn’t get presents to everyone was the Dark Ages and that is why they are the Dark Ages. Looking beyond this, the movie is definitely fun and adventurous. Kurt Russell as Santa Clause was an interesting twist and his portrayal brought a lot of charm and wit to the movie.
Would Recommend?
Do not watch this alone. Do not. If you want to enjoy this movie watch it with your younger siblings and be happy because they are enjoying it.
The Holiday Calendar
Initial Thoughts:
I did not know much about this movie before watching it. I anticipated it to be predictable and follow the guidelines of many other Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movies.
The Premise:
Abby Sutton is a talented photographer who dreams of opening her own studio one day. At a family dinner, her grandfather gives Abby her grandmother’s advent calendar which seems to predict her future.
Review:
I was excited by the idea of magic in this movie but it is never really resolved and focuses mainly on the romance between characters. I did enjoy how the movie focused on people of color as leads while many movies in this genre seem to stick people of color into supporting roles. Other than that, this movie fell short for me as nothing was very exciting. This was another movie where they watch a Netflix film within a Netflix film. I am also always intrigued by guessing what the intended audience is for these movies, like their choice of including a dad as one of the romantic interests. Am I supposed to be watching this movie? It was very predictable which was not surprising, but to me it lacked an element of surprise. The only part that still sticks out to me was the ending where I was so shocked that that was the ending.
Would Recommend?
Yes? If you love this genre and often watch the Hallmark/Lifetime ones, this one is pretty comparable to my experience watching My Christmas Prince on Lifetime. If you actually want something exciting to happen maybe this one can be skipped.
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
Initial Thoughts:
After the success of the first A Christmas Prince last year, I was very excited for this movie. Even though I know that sequels are often not as good as the original, I was hopeful that Netflix would deliver this movie with bigger budget and more charm. I guess I was hoping for a little bit of what The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement delivered.
The Premise:
(Contains really obvious spoilers from the first movie) Amber and King Richard are engaged to be married on Christmas. When Amber travels to Aldovia to spend time with Richard, her world begins to unravel as the people at the palace try to shape her into a queen.
Review:
Maybe my expectations were a bit too high. First, the jump from the first movie to this one is quite dramatic, as we replace the actor as Amber’s father and decide to ignore that he is a completely different person now. Also, there is something about both movies, but in particular this one, that bothers me: the cinematography. Now, I know not to expect an award-winning color scheme from movies like this, but I can imagine the crew in the editing room turning up the blue and red intensely across the whole movie and calling it a day. My friend and I laughed at every scene that was so blue or red that you could barely see the people in the scene. The story itself is fine and that is all I have to say about it. Also, the conflict and how it is resolved made no sense to me and if anyone can explain, please do. Overall, everything looked especially cheap which took away from my viewing experience.
Would Recommend?
I mean if you loved the first movie, there is probably no stopping you from watching this one anyway. It was nice to have a resolution to the story, but it did let me down. If you have not seen either of these movies, you would be fine just watching the original.
Final Thoughts
I really thought that one of these movies would be great. That there would be one that I would want to watch every Christmas season, but none of these truly delivered. I had a great time watching most of them with friends, laughing about how ridiculous they are. Each of these movies left me with so many questions about why they did certain things. Why are they promoting Netflix within Netflix? Why is the color palette SO blue? Who did their hair for this movie? Did anyone do their hair for this movie? Why is Santa singing? Why do they look exactly the same? Why are there no consequences in these movies? And with that I say: Thank you, Netflix, next.