Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal

Where can I go to watch this streaming wise? I dont want to have to buy the DVD

Love Christmas with all my heart. Love the fun and nostalgia it brings, and cherish all the time spent with family and friends every year. Decided in 2019 to see some newly released (at that time) Christmas films to broaden my Christmas film horizons (namely those from Hallmark and Lifetime), this turned into a quest that is still ongoing. Feelings have been extremely mixed doing this and even when trying to take them for what they're meant to be some have been lacking (though there have been some surprisingly good ones too).

Didn't really care all that much at all for the first 'Christmas with a Prince' despite a few good things, but did see its first sequel 'Becoming Royal' for curiosity's sake to see if either of its sequels were better, on its same weak level or worse. The good news is that this is marginally better, with the same redeeming merits plus another redeeming quality (hence the higher rating). They are sadly outweighed by the bad things, which are pretty much the same as before and executed every bit as badly.

'Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal' isn't a complete loss. The scenery is lovely to look at. The music captures the festive spirit with great affection, although some of the placement was questionable.

There are a few amusing moments and a few very cute ones. Josh Dean's (giving the film's only good performance) character is refreshing and likeable and he is a charmer in it.

Unfortunately the scenery was not properly done justice, suggestive of somebody behind the camera that had too much to drink on a long night out. The direction is some of the most disorganised and leaden for any film seen recently and of all the recently seen Christmas films, clearly having no idea what to do with the story and the direction of the actors. The story is thin as a wafer and also lacking in charm and full of ridiculousness and excessive predictability.

Likewise, the script still has no tension or emotional connection and is ruined by an overload of the cheesiest of cheese and equally excessive difficult to stomach sentimentality. The chemistry between the actors, especially the two leads, is so disconnected and the story jumps around and is so dreary and predictable not to mention jawdrop inducing daft. None of the characters are worth identifying with and actually found myself irritated by them, especially Tasha like with everything to do with the security. The rest of the cast look uncomfortable, and either try too hard or don't try that much. Both leads are in both extremes, she in the former extreme and he in the latter one.

In summary, a slight improvement but very mediocre. 4/10.

I can't get over how much I LOVE the sequel of Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal. I honestly love this movie so much that I find it difficult to describe it with the right words. I liked the first film, but the sequel is far better because I love seeing Tasha and Alex happily in love with no bickering and it's great that Miranda gets to play a more villainous role than she did in her debut. I also enjoyed the change in location as it was great to finally see San Savarre and everything else, the palace, church, airport etc. I felt the film really expanded their creativity and storyline because of it. It had more atmosphere and chemistry because of the location changes, something that lacked in the first movie. I really enjoyed the films main storylines and thought they were balanced out quite well, focusing on Tasha and Alex busy preparing for their Royal Christmas Wedding and at that the same time, San Savarre is trying to negotiate a peace treaty with it's neighbouring country.

I love seeing how the characters have grown and changed since the first film, seeing Alex is more mature and has done a great job with his royal responsibilities and seeing Tasha more relaxed and simply just a girl in love, ready to marry the person she wants to be with and as always, still puts everyone else's needs before her own. Tasha is one of my favourite characters, kind, caring, smart, beautiful and selfless. Princess Miranda on the other hand is the opposite. She is spoiled, selfish and downright evil. I hate her, but I do love the conflict and drama she brings as she tries to break up Tasha and Alex after learning about their engagement and is willing to go to the extremes to get what she wants, even threatening the peace treaty between their countries. I'm definitely starting to understand why we "love to hate the villains".

Like I said before I love Tasha and Alex and by the time of the sequel, their relationship has grown and changed so much since the first film. They are both so incredibly adorable together and are so in LOVE!!!! Although a part of me did enjoy the bickering in the first film, I love how they didn't have a single fight or misunderstanding throughout the entire movie as they have such great trust and faith in each other, showing a healthy, loving, stable and committed relationship. I also love how Tasha has a better understanding of what it means by marrying into a royal family and all the changes and adjustments that come along with it. It's refreshing for once as I've seen many royal films before where a lot of the girls are never prepared for this kind of situation.

However, I do enjoy the struggles and challenges Tasha and Alex have to face from Miranda's meddling to the worries of their future together. What's a movie without some conflict or drama? Although, Tasha does have a good understanding of her future with the royal family, she is still learning and doesn't want either her nor Alex have to give up their duties or responsibilities as a doctor or prince, showing again her selfless and compassionate heart. It was also clever how the treaty was being threatened with Tasha and Alex's engagement thrown right into the centre of the conflict all because of Miranda's meddling. My eyes never left the screen as I loved watching Miranda's fiery jealousy and her plotting made for quite the entertainment.

Aside from the main characters I also love that we got to see the return of some familiar faces such as Jeff and Bella. They are the best supportive friends to both Alex and Tasha as they help the royal couple from planning their wedding to helping to stop those who are trying to interfere in the couples upcoming nuptials. I'm also happy we got to see more of Alex's father, King Edward since his character got a lot more development and I loved seeing how seeing father and son have improved their former tense relationship. However, the real highlight that I enjoyed the most about his character was his friendship with Queen Olivia, the mother to Princess Miranda.

I love the new characters who were introduced in this film, especially Queen Olivia because she is the opposite of her daughter. Queen Olivia is a kind, caring and down to earth woman with a lot of heart and humour. She is a great addition to the cast and I love how she instantly bonds with Tasha and becomes a mother figure towards her as she helps plan the wedding. I also LOVED the private investigator that Tasha befriended at the start of the film and I just knew there was more to him than meets eye. I knew he had a role to play and I thought it was pretty clever.

Overall, I'd honestly say that Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal is underrated movie with a lot of love, drama and chemistry along with a touch of Christmas spirit. It feels like a movie you could watch all year around, Christmas or not.

There were a several glitches in, e.g. Proper use of royalty titles or when one of the royals was signing a document and she was near but not touching the paper with the pen.

I would have loved for Trisha to wear that same dress but in white like any real royal bride would have done. Why that horrendous colour? Yuk! Absolutely NOT royal!

Also, I don't understand how Trisha can be so kind with her patients yet so snobby with any type of authority. It didn't match!

Miranda's acting was so evil and not that good as an actress. From who did she inherit such an evil personality? Surely not from her mum. I wonder if her mum has other children. Otherwise, who will make sure the treaty is not compromised in the future?

It's an okay movie, but not in the calibre of other ones I saw today with a real Christmas storyline.

I love Jeff. His role is refreshing but I just couldn't like Tasha. Kept giving her chances but I couldn't like her...and that awful red dress. But the body guard could have been a wonderful Tasha... Lastly, that chief doctor, Lord in what world do people act like that??? But it was a good story...