"We need a person who actually thinks like a criminal, who has a history of
never considering consequences, and has absolutely no fear of breaking the rules."
"If only we knew someone like that." Cousin Fiona takes the spotlight in "The
Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star." The third installment in the romantic comedy film series
features the rabble-rousing royal returning to Montenaro at the request of Queen Margaret.
Once again, Fiona's visit to the castle involves some treachery and thievery -- only this time,
she's doing it on behalf of the queen after a priceless Vatican artifact that's been
entrusted to the castle's care is stolen. Like "The Princess Switch" and "Switched
Again" before it, "Romancing the Star" is feel-good fun for all ages,
but there are some things about the film that are most likely to resonate with grown-up viewers.
Here's a look at things only adults notice in "The Princess Switch 3."
Ever since she first arrived on the scene in "The Princess Switch 2," it's been clear that Fiona is
nothing if not a major flirt. "Well hello, tuxedo man."
"Me?"
Her over-the-top demeanor and
loud fashion stylings certainly make her stand apart from her two look-alikes -- and
everyone else for that matter. One of the funniest elements of
this new installment is seeing both Margaret and Stacy attempt to get into character as Fiona. But,
as the action continues in "The Princess Switch 3," we soon learn that Fiona's unique presence
is actually something of an act. Sure, she really does love her long, blonde wigs and
bold fashions, but the reason she keeps people at arms length is that deep down,
she's afraid of getting her heart broken. Through several flashbacks in the film, we learn
that Fiona has a quietly tragic backstory, shared only with her long-time friend, former boyfriend,
and current partner-in-crime Peter Maxwell. As it turns out, Fiona's mother was a jet-setter who
decided to leave her at boarding school during her childhood Christmases, and she's had abandonment
issues ever since. Later in life, when she and Peter stood to become more than just friends,
she chose a much more flippant relationship with the art thief Hunter. But Peter knows it's
just a fear of being let down again that keeps her from opening up to others, including him.
"I was thinking, maybe when this is over, the two of us could spend some time together."
"Oh, Peter, you know I never plan past lunch." More mature audiences are more likely to realize
that Fiona's entire presence reflects that reality -- that by always being the boisterous center of
everyone's attention, she never has to truly give her own attention to any one person in particular,
thus protecting her heart from any real harm.
"I think you need a hug." "Please no. Oh, there it is."
Another thing that grown-up viewers might notice in "The Princess Switch 3" is that Peter isn't
the only one who has Fiona's true personality figured out. In fact, her cousin, Margaret,
has had her back from the very start of Fiona's appearance in the series. As you might recall,
in "The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again," Margaret decides to show leniency to Fiona,
even after she attempted to steal her crown and arranged for the kidnapping of Princess Stacy.
While we don't know why Margaret has such a soft spot for her renegade relative in the second film,
that relationship becomes much clearer in this new installment. Surely, Margaret was aware of
Fiona's difficult upbringing and felt sympathy for her lonely cousin. And given Margaret's own recent
familial losses, she likely feels an even deeper kinship with Fiona than ever before. So bringing
Fiona back into the picture may offer her a chance to not only retrieve the Star of Peace, but
also to truly bond with Fiona on a deeper level. Others may have doubted Fiona, but adults might
notice that Margaret has been rooting for her to find happiness this whole time.
"The Princess Switch" movies are all about the ladies at the center of the doppelganger action,
and in this film, it's clear that the men in their lives are totally on board with that.
Although Edward was a bit grumpy over Stacy paying more attention to Margaret's
love life than their own in "Switched Again," in this installment, he's beyond
committed to his wife's kinship with Margaret. Even though Edward is still the heir apparent
to the throne of Belgravia, he's practically moved into the Montenaro castle in this leg of
the story to help plan the Christmas celebration. He even participates in shady planning meetings
for the undercover heist. "Well, here we go again."
Meanwhile, even though Kevin is out of the loop for most of the hijinks, he doesn't seem upset
at all to discover his wife in Fiona's clothing upon returning home. In fact, both he and Edward
seem to be quite intrigued by the idea of their gals getting gussied up in costumes.
Speaking of willing collaborators, Fiona's sidekicks, Mindy and Reggie,
sure do show a surprising level of altruism when it comes to their commitment to the new mission.
In "Switched Again," the pair seemed like a couple of opportunists who might be using Fiona just as
much as Fiona was using Margaret. ﻿In "Part 3," however, they both put themselves in legal and
physical danger, even though there's very little financial reward that awaits either of them.
"You know, you never told us what our cut is for this little caper."
"Well the cut, Reggie, is to spend Christmas with Maggie at the palace."
The same is true for Peter, but he at least has a personal score to settle with Hunter
and also has a secret love for Fiona. For Reggie and Mindy, though, there's little
more than their friendship with Fiona that's driving them to work so hard for the queen.
Who knew a gang of thieves could be so generous? "Alright, don't get your knickers in a twist."
Adult audiences are also bound to notice the bounty of Easter eggs that can be found throughout
the film. For starters, the palace's Christmas decor is an exact replica of the look they pulled
off in "Switched Again," which means that Margaret has fully embraced the Christmas spirit this year.
Then, while both Stacy and Edward are fielding a flurry of important phone calls, the prince
makes a subtle reference to a real-life queen. "Oh, we would love to see the corgis as well."
"Oh absolutely, you can quote me. Yes, and a very merry Christmas to you."
Who else could that be but the royal corgi lover herself, Queen Elizabeth?
There's also a fun reference used by Frank,
who, like most of the gentlemen in this story, has become fully vested in the royal switcheroo games.
"Come with me if you want to live." And last but not least, grown-up film fans are
bound to notice some striking similarities between the sultry moves in Fiona and Peter's practice
tango and the laser dance they have to pull off to successfully steal back the star. As it turns out,
they've always been in sync with one another. Thanks for watching. Click the links in our
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