A Royal Corgi Christmas (2022)
5/10
I finally watched a Hallmark Christmas movie all the way through. Reviewing these movies is a bit like reviewing a McDonald’s cheeseburger: you know exactly what you’re going to get. Everyone knows this: the audience, the filmmakers, the actors, Hallmark. But that’s part of the appeal, like romantic comedies in general. The very predictability of these movies makes them comfort food, along with the wish fulfilment aspects for their intended audience. To be fair, there is slightly more variety here than in a McDonald’s menu item, since these movies live or die based on the quality of their script, performers, settings, and any added novelties they might offer.
A Royal Corgi Christmas has just such an ace up its sleeve: corgis. The film starts with Prince Edmond (Jordan Renzo) buying his mother Queen Portia (Susannah de Wrixon) a corgi named Mistletoe, who is allegedly hard to control. Mistletoe seems more mild-mannered than a lot of dogs, but whatever: the prince hires American dog trainer Cecily (Hunter King) to fly to whatever country these royals are supposed to rule over to train Mistletoe in time for the big royal Christmas ball, which will include the Queen’s announcement of her successor as monarch. Spoiler alert: Cecily and Edmond start to develop feelings for each other.
Right away this movie had a big strike against it, because I’m not exactly a fan of monarchy. On the other hand I am a fan of corgis, so it all evened out. The frequent appearances of cute corgis helped carry much of the film for me, particularly during the big corgi derby. Who doesn’t love a good corgi race?
The romance between Cecily and the prince is as predictable as you would imagine, but it works because the actors are likeable and do a good job with extremely formulaic material. Writer Errine Dobson also includes some backstories about deceased parents on each side that is genuinely affecting. Otherwise, there’s not much in the way of drama until a sudden twist in the last act, but it’s all resolved fairly quickly. The film tries to have its cake and eat it too by revelling in the glamour of royalty while also making Edmond a reluctant prince who wants to forge his own path in life. It’s a calculated effort to please everyone, but the result will satisfy its intended audience. Everyone likes a bit of junk food now and then.