Abi's World

I watched EVERY Netflix Christmas Original movie and this is what I thought…

Day One: The Princess Switch: Switched Again

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The Princess Switch synopsis: One week before Christmas, an American baker switches places with a European Duchess who looks just like her. The two fall for men they meet whilst switched, however neither men know about the change.

My rating: 8.5/10 (I watched this last year)

The Princess Switch: Switched Again synopsis: When Duchess Margaret unexpectedly inherits the throne, and hits a rough patch with her American boyfriend, her double, Stacy (now a princess) steps in to help. But trouble ensues when a third look-alike appears.

My thoughts whilst watching:

I watched the first movie when it came out last year and my memory was a little hazy when it came to the details of it. Luckily, this sequel gave us a quick recap at the start.

The movie was as expected, with some romantic, funny, cute and Christmassy moments. However, I was not keen on the acting by some of the newcomers (Gavin…?? Who cast this character please?). And although Vanessa Hudgens can pull off a royal and an American baker well, her portrayal of the third and new doppelganger wasn’t great. Or maybe it was just the way the character was written. Either way, the first movie takes the cake (no pun intended).

My rating: 7/10

Day Two: Holiday In The Wild

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Synopsis: After her husband ends their marriage, Kate embarks on a solo second honeymoon in Africa. There, she and Derek, a pilot, rescue a baby elephant. While nursing the elephant back to health, Kate discovers how much she loves her new surroundings.

My thoughts whilst watching:

I had a bad cold when watching this so it was my “sick day” Christmas film. I use the term “Christmas film” very loosely. About 20 minutes into the film I had to Google whether this was a Christmas movie or whether I was mistaken. Google assured me that it was indeed a “Christmas romantic comedy”. Hmm…! The film, for the most part, takes place in August, and features a few Christmas scenes in the second half, but even then it’s minimal and not Christmas as most of us know it (it’s a hot Christmas in Africa). It’s not a bad film, but if you are looking for a Christmas movie to get you in the festive spirit, this is not it. It also made me chuckle that a lot of the end of the film was set in summer 2020…if only they knew…

My rating: 7/10 (but as a regular movie, not as a Christmas movie)

Day Three: Operation Christmas Drop

Synopsis: Congressional aide, Erica Miller, lands at a beachside Air Force base, where she clashes with Capt. Andrew Jantz over his pet project – ‘Operation: Christmas Drop’.

My Thoughts:

I was actually planning to watch Holidate today but as soon as I clicked play, the first word was a rude one so I clicked off it, messaged my friends to watch it with me next week as I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it on my own and moved onto the next film on my list: Operation Christmas Drop.

I love the choice of the opening song, Candice Boyd’s version of Carol Of The Bells, which isn’t the usual Christmas movie opening song. I also liked the fact the that the two lead characters don’t have typical Christmas movie jobs either. The film ticked many boxes in terms of originality, even though I knew it would have the typical ending of the two main characters – who originally butt heads – falling in love with each other and with Christmas. The ethnic diversity of the cast also did not go unnoticed. Major ticks. Also, Captain Andrew Jantz and Airman Travis; major major ticks 😂.

It’s very American; I had to Google what a Congressional Aide does! And I did a bit of research (which I do with EVERY film I watch) to find out whether the actual “Operation Christmas Drop” is a real Air Force thing and apparently it is! #Funfact (They also mention this at the end of the film).

Overall, this is my favourite film on the list so far.

My rating: 9/10

Day Four: Christmas Inheritance

Synopsis: Before ambitious heiress Ellen Langford can inherit her father’s business, she must deliver a special Christmas card to her dad’s former business partner. When a snowstorm strands her at the town inn, she discovers the true gift of Christmas.

My thoughts:

I googled Eliza Taylor (the actress playing the protagonist) as she looked familiar, and rightly so; she has been on my TV all my life, from playing Rosie in The Sleepover Club to playing a regular in Neighbours when I was a teenager. This is the first time I’m seeing her in over a decade though…and she looks beautiful! I’m loving her fake American accent too. Andie MacDowell and Jake Lacy – best known for Season 10 of The Office – also star.

This film should totally be a Hallmark film. It fits the perfect Christmas cliché characteristics of a Hallmark holiday film to a tee.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Day Five: Christmas Rush

Synopsis: After being fired a week before Christmas, a wealthy widowed radio DJ and his four spoilt children move in with his aunt.

My thoughts:

This isn’t the most Christmassy film, and it’s quite a typical riches to rags story where the spoilt kids learn what’s truly valuable. But it does have its cute, funny and touching moments. If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air from a proper typical snow-white, carol-filled, cookie-cutter Christmas film, then this one is for you…but I wasn’t. This film also reminded me that Americans need to pay for college and healthcare out of their own pocket – crazy!

Rating: 7/10

Day Five (Later on): A Christmas Prince: Royal Baby

A Christmas Prince synopsis: An aspiring young journalist goes undercover to get the scoop on a European Prince, only to find there’s more to him than the media thinks.

My rating (I watched this two years ago): 8.5/10

A Christmas Prince: Royal Wedding synopsis (spoiler if you haven’t seen the first film): A year after Amber helped Richard secure the crown, the two are set to tie the knot in a royal Christmas wedding. But their plans are jeopardized when Amber finds herself second-guessing whether or not she’s cut out to be queen.

My rating (I watched this last year): 8/10

A Christmas Prince: Royal Baby synopsis (spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the first film): Amber and Richard host royals from a faraway kingdom to renew a sacred truce, but when the priceless treaty disappears, peace is put in jeopardy and an ancient curse threatens their family and unborn baby.

My thoughts:

I love that there’s been A Christmas Prince movie every year since 2017. And even though they didn’t release one this year, the main characters still made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again (even though that makes no sense since in the first The Princess Switch movie, the main character was watching A Christmas Prince movie…I guess anything is possible in the world of Netflix).

It’s a decent film, albeit with a random mystery/curses/haunted/whodunnit element to it. Overall, I prefer the first two movies, but would still love to see a fourth film next Christmas, and then a new Christmas Prince film every year after that!

Rating: 7/10

Day Six: Holidate

Synopsis: Two single people tired of being alone during the holidays make a pact to spend every holiday together platonically. However, romantic feelings soon complicate things.

My thoughts:

So as I mentioned above, I tried to rope my friends into watching this with me. But unfortunately, they had already watched it (in their defence, they did ask me if I wanted to watch it back in November, but I told them that Christmas movies are meant to be watched in December 🙃).

I wasn’t looking forward to this one, but I am committed to this blog, this challenge and you lovely readers so I pressed play.

This film is super-crude, the “jokes” aren’t funny, the timeline doesn’t make sense (they have the 4th of July before Labour day which is in May) it’s predictable (not in a cute way) and has Christmas featured for like a quarter of the entire movie. Calling it a Christmas film is a bit of a stretch, and I would have rather spent two hours watching something else, and as seen on Google reviews, most people agree with me.

My rating: 5.5/10

Day Seven: Just Another Christmas

Synopsis: Stuck in a time loop at Christmas time, a family man who hates the holiday starts to learn valuable lessons about what’s truly important in life.

My thoughts:

I like the fact that it’s different to other Christmas films without being crude (still not over Holidate) and still focusing on Christmas.

I realised that everyone’s lips were moving out of synch and thought my internet was playing up. Upon googling it, I realised that it’s a Brazilian film that’s been dubbed in English. It was a little difficult to watch due to the weird lip-moving, unnecessarily loud shouting by the man voicing the main character, and some of the comedy was lost in translation and ended up cringey, but once you get over that, it isn’t too bad. This film is basically a Brazilian, festive, family-focused version of Groundhog Day with a lot of twists and turns and less predictability.

I liked the fact that it was very different from your typical Christmas film. So, for those who don’t want a typical holiday rom-com, this one is for you.

My rating: 7/10

Day Seven (Later On): A California Christmas

Synopsis: With his carefree life on the line, a wealthy charmer poses as a ranch hand to get a hardworking farmer to sell her family’s land.

My thoughts:

This is basically a Hallmark film that’s rated 12.

I’ve noticed a running theme with these movies too: all of them start two weeks before Christmas…and all the main characters change and fall in love and live happily ever after by Christmas. Hmm if only…

I feel like I’ve watched a Netflix movie similar to this one but I can’t remember what it’s called, so basically this was like festive de ja vu.

This predictable film had everything you’d expect; from rich guys learning the value of hard work, to the leading lady learning to love again, complete with sentimental moments, bar fights and almost-kisses. However, it also has some sad parts that reflect real life well.

Despite the predictability, it was enjoyable, although I wish it had more Christmas in it. The film literally featured Christmas in the last ten minutes. Despite the name, this is NOT a Christmas film. Why are so many of these “Christmas” films lacking that very thing?!

I also googled this film (as I’m sure you’ve realised by now, I do with all the films I watch) and found out that the two leads are married in real life! Cute! And they co-wrote this film!! And apparently they’re Christian too. Wow – love it! Shame I don’t love the movie as much 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Rating: 6.5/10 (mainly because it was not a Christmas movie really)

Day Eight: Klaus

Synopsis: After proving himself to be the worst postman at the academy, a postman is posted to a frozen town in the North where he discovers Santa Claus is hiding out.

My thoughts:

This is an Oscar-nominated film, and the only animated one on the list, so I was looking forward to watching it. I had fairly high expectations, and, for the most part, they were met.

It’s an original take on a Santa story that focuses on love, kindness and unlikely friendships. It’s funny (such witty writing), cute (the kids will make you say “awww”), and one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I’d recommend it as a Christmas day movie.

Rating: 7.5/10

Day Nine: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Synopsis: Decades after his apprentice betrays him, a once joyful toy maker finds new hope when his bright young granddaughter appears on his doorstep.

My thoughts:

Another very original, magical Christmas film featuring a sweet story, stellar soundtrack and awesome actors.

Although it’s over two hours long, it didn’t really feel that way.

Filled with charming storylines, heart-warming moments and fun musical numbers, it’s a lovely film for the whole family to enjoy together.

Rating: 7/10

Day Ten: The Christmas Chronicles

Synopsis: Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with Santa and his elves to save Christmas.

My thoughts:

I LOVE this film. It’s like a classic Christmas film (think the movie Santa Clause). It was emotional, funny, sweet and CHRISTMASSY. (P.S. Christmas is about Jesus, but I’m sure Santa knows that too 😉).

I would highly recommend this film. It’s a perfect Christmas Eve movie. And, it’s my favourite Netflix Christmas movie (so far). The actors in this film – especially little Kate – are excellent too. I think this movie will stand the test of time and be a family favourite for years to come.

Rating: 9/10

Day Ten: The Christmas Chronicles 2

Synopsis: Teenager Kate Pierce is reunited with Santa Claus when a troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas forever.

My thoughts:

It’s not as good as the first one (most sequels aren’t), but it’s still a good film. The main characters all remain, which is great, but there are also a number of new characters, which I’m not a huge fan of. There’s also a bad guy this time; Belsnickel. Yes, the same Belsnickel that Dwight dressed up as in The Office 😂. Both films have a big musical number each too, which I love! But like all sequels, this musical scene is a lot bigger and better.

Due to the fact that the majority of this film takes place in the North Pole – and the fact that Mr and Mrs Clause are together in real life – makes it incredibly magical, but I definitely prefer the first one.

The ‘O Christmas Tree’ finale was beautiful and my favourite part of the film.

Oh, and they also mention the Star of Bethlehem…I told you Santa knows Jesus too 😌. In actual fact, St. Nicholas was actually a Christian which prompted his generosity, causing the origin of Santa Clause; true story.

Rating: 8/10

Day Ten (later on): Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square

Synopsis: A cynical, ruthless woman who plans to sell a small town without regard for the people who live there, receives a visit from an angel.

My thoughts:

I love Dolly Parton so I was looking forward to this one.

You MUST love musicals to watch this. Not like musicals but LOVE them. I’ve never watched anything like this; the whole film is basically an album. They have three or four sentences between each song.

It’s a little obscure but it’s a sweet and funny film, which, unlike most Christmas films, mentions Christianity which is what Christmas is about. There are also some great songs and some unexpected plot twists which makes this film more enjoyable.

I love the story of this film, and I love the message behind it, but there were a little too many impromptu songs. Breaking into a song that lasts five minutes (or more) every two minutes (literally) isn’t great…and that’s coming from me: a huge lover of musicals.

Rating: 6.5/10

I watched the following Netflix Original Christmas Movies last year:

Film: Let It Snow

Plot: A snowstorm hits a small midwestern town on Christmas Eve, bringing together a group of high school students, changing their lives.

My thoughts: I liked this film a lot. It was a mixture of linked stories (think New Year’s Eve or Valentines Day but a Christmas version with teenagers), but I would have been happy just watching the story of Julie and Stuart unfold. This movie is perfect for young adults, and those who – like me – love YA films.

Rating: 8/10

Film: The Knight Before Christmas

Plot: A medieval knight is transported to the present day. Here, he falls for a teacher disillusioned with love.

My thoughts: I know a lot of films take us outside reality – like I know that’s the purpose of movies – but I’m someone who enjoys realistic films. This was not that. I love Vanessa Hudgens, and some aspects of this film were cute, but overall: not my cup of tea.

Rating: 6.5/10

Film: The Holiday Calendar

Plot: A photographer inherits an antique Advent calendar that seems to predict her future — including a budding romance.

My thoughts: I liked it. I kind of knew what would happen, but predictability isn’t always bad. A film focused on love, dreams and Christmas can never be a bad thing.

Rating: 7/10

And that’s it; every Netflix Christmas movie reviewed by me for you!

Let me know which ones you’ve watched and which is your favourite of the lot.

And remember, CHRIST is the reason for the season! Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

With Love, Abi X