The Princess Switch: Switched Again

The Princess Switch: Switched Again is a 2020 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Mike Rohl. A sequel to The Princess Switch, it stars Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Suanne Braun, and Nick Sagar.[1][2] The story follows Margaret Delacourt, the Duchess of Montenaro, who suddenly inherits the throne to her home country of Montenaro. As her Christmas coronation approaches, she and Stacy switch places once again so Margaret can fix her relationship with Stacy's friend Kevin. Unbeknownst to both women, a third look-alike, Margaret's evil cousin Lady Fiona, disguises herself as Margaret in a scheme to steal the throne.[3]

The Princess Switch: Switched Again
Official release poster
Directed byMike Rohl
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Music byAlan Lazar
CinematographyFernando Argüelles Fernandez
Edited byLara Mazur
Production
company
  • MPCA
  • Brad Krevoy Television
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film is produced by Brad Krevoy and was released on Netflix on November 19, 2020 and received positive reviews from critics.[4]

Plot

Two years after the events of the first film, Stacy is now the Princess of Belgravia, while Margaret is preparing to ascend to the throne of Montenaro following the death of the king and the decision of his son Howard to abdicate. Nervous about taking on the responsibilities of ruling a nation, Margaret has ended her relationship with Kevin, who is now running his own bake shop with Olivia in Chicago. Stacy makes a surprise visit on her way to Montenaro for the coronation and discovers how miserable Kevin has become since the breakup. When Olivia reveals she never mailed her father's request not to attend the coronation, Stacy persuades him to reconsider and travel with her and Prince Edward, even though the two of them have their own relationship problems as Stacy has increasingly neglected Edward while she focuses on her duties as Princess.

Upon arriving, Kevin reunites with Margaret and helps her, Prince Edward, Stacy, and Olivia decorate her palace for Christmas after Margaret reveals she also feels depressed about how things ended up. At an evening event, the two dance, only to be interrupted by Lady Fiona Pembroke, Margaret's cousin. Unbeknownst to anyone, Fiona has spent nearly all of her family's small fortune and has resorted to ordering her servants Reggie and Mindy to rob the guests at the party. Back at the decrepit Pembroke estate, Fiona is furious and bitter about being abandoned by the rest of her family when suddenly, an idea occurs to her: given that she and Margaret look nearly identical, it might be possible for her to assume her identity, get crowned as queen, and then loot the royal treasury, setting her up for life. Reggie and Mindy are enthusiastic and help Fiona dye her hair and copy Margaret's makeup while studying the queen's upcoming schedule.

Back at the palace, Margaret admits that she's been too busy with royal affairs to have any time to spend with Kevin. Complicating matters further is her relationship with Count Antonio Rossi, her chief of staff, who is also in love with Margaret and plants seeds of doubt in Kevin's mind that he could ever be a good match for a future queen. Stacy decides that the only way to fix things is for her and Margaret to switch identities again so she and Kevin can have the afternoon to themselves while Stacy takes care of Margaret's schedule. The switch takes place, with Olivia staying behind to distract Edward while Margaret and Kevin go to a local Christmas park. There, Kevin expresses his doubts about being Margaret's equal and she convinces him that such concerns are irrelevant: as long as they love each other, that is what matters.

Reggie and Mindy abduct Stacy, thinking she's Margaret, and lock her up in Pembroke Manor. Fiona steps in just as Margaret returns; realizing that the woman she's speaking to isn't Stacy, Margaret confesses the truth to Prince Edward and they rescue Stacy from Reggie and Mindy, both of whom are arrested and reveal Fiona's plan. Meanwhile, Antonio deduces the truth on his own as Fiona forgot to cover up an incriminating tattoo on her finger. He tells her that he will move up her coronation and help her escape the country if she agrees to divide the treasury with him, as he also needs money. Just as the coronation is about to take place, Margaret and Stacy arrive and expose Fiona and Antonio; the latter is arrested while the former admits her deception and reveals that Kevin is on his way to the airport with Olivia after Fiona lied and said she didn't want to be with him anymore. The group stops Kevin just as he is about to board a plane and he and Margaret get married on the spot after a priest volunteers his services. Stacy and Edward reaffirm their love for each other as Stacy promises to make more time for them and Edward promises not to smother her with attention. Margaret is crowned Queen of Montenaro with Stacy, Edward, Olivia, and Fiona (escorted by police) cheering her on.

Cast

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 61% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[5]

For Variety Dennis Harvey opines, "'Switched Again' isn’t really about suspense, romantic troubles or even identity swapping. Instead, what it’s selling is Yuletide." Terming the look of the film as a 'high-caloric treat', Harvey praised the production designer Pat Campbell, cinematographer Fernando Arguelles Fernandez, and the costumes by Johnetta Boone and Francisco Rodriguez-Weil. Harvey feels that the [switching] story is weak in certain places but the Christmas decorations will, "satisfy viewers’ itch for confectionary-looking Christmas fluff".[6]

Sequel

In November 2020, Netflix confirmed that a third film in the series had been ordered.[7]

References
  1. Walsh, Savannah (October 7, 2020). "'The Princess Switch' Sequel Premieres Next Month—And A Third (!) Movie Will Follow". ELLE. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  2. Ng, Philiana (October 7, 2020). "'The Princess Switch' Sequel Sets Premiere Date Set and a Third Film". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  3. Snierson, Dan (October 7, 2020). "See first photos of Netflix's 'The Princess Switch: Switched Again'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  4. Mallenbaum, Carly (October 21, 2020). "Everything new on Netflix in November: 'The Crown' Season 4 to Shawn Mendes documentary". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  5. "The Princess Switch: Switched Again". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. Harvey, Dennis. "'The Princess Switch: Switched Again' Review: It's Vanessa Hudgens Times Three in Cozy Netflix Sequel". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  7. https://www.etonline.com/vanessa-hudgens-the-princess-switch-sequel-sets-premiere-date-plus-a-third-movie-is-coming-154301
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