Review by Marisa Stokley
ABOUT THE movie
Photography assistant Amanda Eastman longs to make a name for herself in the industry but has resigned herself to living in the shadows. When her boss, Beatrice Bitterly, receives an invitation to photograph the Christmas festivities in the kingdom of Pantrea at the request of the royal family, Amanda goes in her place–and posing as her boss. Hidden identities, unrequited love, and a villainous drive to be royal compete to keep Amanda and Prince Leopold, heir apparent to the Pantrean throne, apart. Will the spirit of Christmas bring them together?
MY THOUGHTS
Royal fans, welcome to the prime time of royal holiday movies. Netflix, Hallmark, Lifetime, Great American Family, and Amazon Prime (among others not listed here, I’m sure) abound with these beloved films. Some, by nature of the number produced every year, are bound to better than others. This is not the case, unfortunately, for A Picture Perfect Royal Christmas, which I found to be the most lackluster of royal holiday films I’ve watched–and I have watched many. I write this review not with the intention of criticizing a story, its actors, or its production. If I had it my way, every royal film (made directly for TV or otherwise) would earn five stars and rave reviews from every person who watched it. Nevertheless, this movie has proven that even I have my limits as to what equates to good storytelling within the royal sphere.
A Picture Perfect Royal Christmas has all the elements for what should make a solid royal Christmas film. Hidden identities, a love triangle, career challenges, a snobby villain, and a meddling best friend fill this story with gusto as the heroine and the prince attempt to survive the Christmas holiday. Mediocre acting, poor dialog, and a plot lacking depth, however, drag this story down in a way that turned a little more than an hour and half into a slog to get through. This story would have needed a full rework of conflict and chemistry if it were be a movie that merited more than a one-crown rating. Perhaps I should give it another change…or perhaps not. There are too many other royal holiday movies out there for me to sit through this one again.
While this movie wasn’t for me, if you still want to watch A Picture Perfect Royal Christmas, find it on Amazon Prime.
Disclaimer: I watched A Picture Perfect Royal Christmas on Amazon Prime. I was not required to write a review, and this does not influence my review, positive or otherwise. All opinions expressed are mine alone.