The sequel to 2018’s The Princess Switch is just as delightfully charming, and twice as unhinged, as the original

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Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, and Nick Sagar

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2018’s The Princess Switch was quite the hit on Netflix. Not only were there multiple Vanessa Hudgens frolicking about in a vaguely non-descript fictional area of what can only be assumed as Europe, but there were also festive visuals galore, and princesses. The Princess Switch: Switched Again offers all of this, and more, with a whole 50% extra Vanessa Hudgens. For those who are uninitiated in the world of The Princess Switch, the original saw Chicago baker Stacy swap places with Duchess Margaret Delacourt (both played by Hudgens), and found themselves falling in love. Stacy fell in love with Prince Edward of Belgravia (Sam Palladio), while Margaret fell in love with Stacy’s business partner and friend Kevin (Nick Sagar). Stacy enjoyed the importance of being a Princess, and being able to affect real change, while Margaret enjoyed the sense of normalcy she gets from being with Kevin.

Flash forward two years, and Stacy and Edward’s relationship is becoming more strained, with Stacy neglecting Edward in the name of her Princess duties, while Margaret and Kevin have called an end to their relationship. Margaret is also about to become Queen of Montenaro, in the wake of her father’s death, so Stacy uses the coronation as a convenient excuse to bring Kevin to Montenaro to bring the pair back together. To this end, the pair decide to swap once again to allow Margaret time to rebuild her and Kevin’s relationship. Unbeknownst to the pair, however, there is a third doppelgänger, Lady Fiona Pembroke (also Hudgens), who plans to impersonate Margaret in order to steal part of the royal fortune.

There’s something so visually comforting about The Princess Switch: Switched Again. Interior scenes in Montenaro are wrapped in reds and golds, creating a sense of warmth, while the exterior shots are filled with blissful whites and blues. There are ridiculous numbers of Christmas trees to be seen on every corner, festooned in twinkling lights and all manner of brilliant decorations. This is Christmas to the max, and is bound to put the viewer in a festive mood.

The Princess Switch: Switched Again moves at such a ferocious pace it’s almost a shame that it doesn’t last much longer, as it most certainly could, but it’s preferable to be left wanting more than to feel bored of the entire affair. The plot mostly focussed upon Margaret and Kevin’s love story, leaving Prince Edward depressingly little to do, and it’s a pity to not explore how Stacy has been exploring her passion of baking while also being a Princess. Fiona and her henchpeople provide decent comic relief, and they have sound motivations, even if the legal process in Montenaro appears to be in need of major refinement if one can randomly call a coronation (especially when Margaret already has one known lookalike running around).

Ultimately, The Princess Switch: Switched Again offers more of what made viewers fall in love with the first one. Gorgeous, enchanting scenery, and a compelling storyline with characters impersonating others. Despite having multiple people pretending to be others, and many misunderstandings, it is also remarkably easy to understand. Netflix have already announced another in the series, so, quite frankly, if it isn’t revealed that Vanessa Hudgens was part of some governmental cloning program, what’s the point?

The Princess Switch: Switched Again is streaming now on Netflix.