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Parents' Guide to

The Swan Princess Christmas

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Animated sequel lacks magic; some mild violence.

Movie PG 2013 84 minutes
The Swan Princess Christmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 3 parent reviews

MamaKuno
MamaKuno Parent of 2-year-old
December 4, 2018
age 3+

On Par with the Barbie movies

So I was hesistant to watch this movie with my children, given the negative reviews I read about this movie. After watching this movie with my daughter and son, I find I mostly approved of this movie. The plot centers around Odette and Derek's first Christmas together. The songs sung are deck the halls, jingle bells, hark the herald angel sings, & a few original songs. I don't see where it was relgious, unless you think 1 song about angels makes the movie religious? The majority of the movie has to do with ornaments and Christmas trees. As for the animation, the mouths are the films weak point. The animation is. Dated circa early 2000s, and is on the level of .Barbie Three Musketeers. So if your child enjoys that, they'll enjoy this 1.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Author Alys B. Cohen
Author Alys B. Cohen Parent of 5-year-old
January 13, 2015
age 10+

This movie is a shame to CG animation

Let's just start with the quality of the animation. It's not even on par with Pixar's Tin Soldier, which is one of their earliest shorts when experimenting with what CG animation could do. It's very obvious Swan Princess Christmas (SPC from here on) was rushed in an attempt to capitalize on a pretty dead franchise. My daughter and I tried watching this last month. She thought the people were creepy, and they are. Every character looks two second away from breaking out of human skin and revealing themselves to be monsters. All their faces look so angry and so far from natural that it was indeed freaky. What you wouldn't expect, if you've seen other movies in this franchise, is to be beaten over the head repeatedly with Jesus. I can appreciate a movie with a religious tone, but this movie was just too much, and I felt like beating my own self over the head to keep awake to finish this movie long after my the-4-year-old had fallen asleep. Dull plot that moved slower than frozen molasses as it thawed, bad animation, and Jesus being shoved down our throats, make this a movie that not only shouldn't be seen, but that should be destroyed from existence.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Princess Odette and Prince Derek are visiting his home for the holidays, hoping for a memorable holiday. Unfortunately, they arrive to find that some people have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas, and are competing to stage the biggest pageant and throw the biggest party, rather than just enjoy time with friends and family. Even worse, the evil wizard Rothbart has followed them and is determined to destroy the holiday and wreak vengeance upon the happy couple. Can Derek and Odette foil his evil plan?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Part of the long-running Swan Princess video series, this movie brings back all the familiar characters, including the couple's animal friends, but lacks the charm of the original tale. This installment tries to merge a standard-ish sequel, featuring another dastardly plot from the couple's nemesis Rothbart, with a wholesome find-the-real-meaning-of-Christmas lesson. The result feels forced, with plot elements bolted together, including some uninspired musical numbers and a few plot twists that seem to come from nowhere. (Just how does the ghostly Rothbart manage to come up with the exact magical spell to restore his body?)

Young viewers who have become attached to the tales of Derek and Odette may enjoy seeing this holiday adventure. Otherwise, the film isn't especially memorable or appealing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sequels. How does The Swan Princess Christmas fit into the rest of the Swan Princess stories? Does this sequel live up to the others?

  • Is the Swan Princess a strong female? Or does she need a man to save her, like so many other fairy tale heroines?

Movie Details

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