Mystery And Festivity: Review Of A Christmas Prince Trilogy

The Christmas season is in full swing and we have a week left before the festive holidays. As part of my tradition, I've been watching some movies and I want to review a few royal-themed ones.

One common theme that the entertainment industry explores in Christmas movies is that of the life of royals. I think they get this idea from the fairy tale concept of Prince Charming. This is a well loved character in books and films who is a noble or royal and must rescue a lady, often a commoner, from an unpleasant situation (or an evil spell like Cinderella), fall in love with her and they live happily ever after.

I came across a Netflix Christmas romantic comedy, A Christmas Prince trilogy, that focuses on the life of a royal and I loved it. The first film, A Christmas Prince (2017) introduces the audience to Prince Richard (played by Ben Lamb) who is set to take the throne and rule the fictional country of Aldovia after his father's death. There are rumours that the prince is a playboy and as such may abdicate the throne.

A young journalist, Amber Moore (played by Rose McIver) is sent to the royal palace by her boss to get to the bottom of the story. To succeed on this assignment, Amber sneaks into the palace and pretends to be Princess Emily's tutor. Will this young journalist get the much-desired big break in her career while disguised as a tutor in the palace? Will she get the prince to open up about his concerns and hesitation in taking the throne?

If you're a fan of royal-themed movies and have seen the duology, The Princess Diaries featuring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, you'll know there's a similarity in the plots of both films. Some viewers might be tempted to describe this first film as cheesy but it's not, in my opinion. There are certain twists later in the film that are unexpected and I won't spoil them in this review. They add some intrigue to an otherwise predictable plot.

The cast's performance is good and the cinematography is great. Every scene is colourful and cheery, a fine and nostalgic blend of winter wonderland scenery with festive Christmas tones. The comedy scenes are amusing and the film's pacing is consistent. When the ending happens, it's as though the film should continue.

Good thing, there is a second film! A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018) released the following year continues the story and drama of the Prince who becomes the king of Aldovia and is set to marry his fiancée, Amber Moore. This second film occurs a year after the events of the first film. It focuses on the pressures of being royal and marrying a commoner. There are people in support of the union and those who are against it. Also, Amber is burdened with royal protocols and must decide the ones to obey and those to discard.

Just like the first film, there's no dull moment in the second one. New characters like the enigmatic Lord Leopold is added to the cast. There is a shocking mystery that must be resolved and certain twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. The actors exhibit fine acting skills as they embody their characters. The storytelling is impressive and cinematography is better than the first film. The first film's setting focuses on scenes from America and Aldovia. In this sequel, the entire setting is in Aldovia and the ending is charming.

The following year, the director, John Schultz and cast tells us their story is not over yet! A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019) is released detailing the married life of the king and queen of Aldovia and surprise, a royal baby is on the way! And just like the previous films, the plot doesn't focus solely on the royal couple and their baby but a mystery is included that sets the characters' investigative skills into action. An age-old treaty that must be signed between Aldovia and King Tai of Penglia goes missing. Who is the culprit behind this heinous act?

After seeing this third film, I believe much effort went into the plot and acting. The audience is not bored by the romance of the royal couple but intrigued by the mystery of the stolen treaty. The actors are outstanding in their performance and the cinematography of this third film is much better than the previous films.

Overall, I'll definitely recommend this trilogy for the Christmas holidays. It's fun and entertaining. I think there's a crossover between this trilogy and The Princess Switch trilogy. The king and queen of Aldovia in this present trilogy appear at the coronation ceremony of Lady Margaret. Shocking!

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