Now when it comes to Christmas movies, the normal viewer will likely watch a theatrical release from years ago that are either classics or contemporary hits or even a current Christmas movie that's out and receiving a lot of buzz. They may also be likely to watch a classic Christmas special that you grew up on because it gets you into the best holiday spirit. And then, more often than not, they may be likely to watch original made-for-television Christmas movies that are too sanitized to have any substance to it, especially considering the channels that air these Christmas movies (in this case, Hallmark and Lifetime instantly come to mind). When you look at the posters, the previews, and even the synopsis for A Christmas Prince, you're quick to assume that it falls into that category. And while you're right, you're also quick to assume that it's from Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, or Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup. But it's not. This is a Netflix original starring Rose McIver (iZombie) as Amber, a reporter from New York who gets called on an assignment to do a cover story on Richard, an Aldovian prince preparing to take the throne after his father's passing. Upon arrival, she finds herself in a forced position to keep her mission a secret once she gets mistaken as a tutor for his disabled sister, Emily.
I don't really watch these made-for-television Christmas movies in this kind of vein, but I've noticed my family watch enough of these around this time of year to understand the formula. And when I watched this movie, my expectations were mostly met. It's one of the most basic sanitized contemporary made-for-television movies that lie on the romance/comedy/Christmas spectrum, despite the fact that this one doesn't have a lot to do with the Christmas holiday. It's just a Christmas movie by default, because it takes place during that holiday. It pretty much lacks the excitement, and most of the focus is on Amber's mission and eventual relationship with Prince Richard.
Now, what does work for this movie is some of the acting. I like Rose McIver as an actress, and her performance here is mostly solid. Another pleasant surprise was the performance of Honor Kneafsey as Emily. She puts up a wall between her and Amber at first, but she quickly opens up and becomes her partner while Amber's in Aldovia. I liked seeing her character open up and allow me to learn more about herself. We don't get a lot of her character throughout most of the movie, but when we do see her, she steals the scene. This movie also did good with introducing most of the twists and turns. We eventually see Amber learn that Prince Richard has a secret of his own that could compromise his ability to become the King of Aldovia, even though he hints that he may not be 100% ready to have all that responsibility in his heart.
I feel like I need to sound off on what worked against the movie, but in all honesty, it's too basic of a made-for-television romantic-comedy styled Christmas movie to really have a major flaw. As such, A Christmas Prince is a decent holiday flick. It doesn't do too much in its favor, but it doesn't do too much against it as well. It's formulaic, but it at least follows the formula.
Score: 57/100
Recommendation: If you're curious enough to find something Christmas-themed Netflix title other than a fireplace on an endless loop.