Rating 2/5
Izzy is a hairdresser in ‘The Royal Treatment’, who is given the task of groom Lavanian Prince Thomas. They bond during her stay and fall in love.
Story
Hairstylist Izzy’s (Laura Marano) small salon catches fire when the microwave and hair dryer are both switched on by her grandmother at the same time.
Due to a mix-up in hair salon identities, Prince Thomas (Mena Massoud) becomes Izzy’s client. Later, he invites them to perform at his wedding.
After Thomas invites Izzy and two of her stylists to make his royal wedding hair, Izzy and her closest friends Destiny (Chelsie Preston Crayford) and Lola (Grace Bentley-Tsibuah) fly to Lavania.
Performances
Laura Marano’s vehicle is unmistakably hers, and she masterfully directs it, igniting her work with easy charisma. Mena Massoud is similarly appealing, bringing a multi-faceted depth to his performances.
Chelsie Preston Crayford and Grace Bentley-Tsibuah are talented actors who gleefully handle the material’s wide comedy strokes and amusing remarks.
Cameron Rhodes’ sensitive performance as Thomas’ kind-hearted butler and friend nearly steals the show.
Positives
The most enjoyable aspect of The Royal Treatment is Izzy and Thomas’s endearing connection, in which every scene between them and the banter they exchange seems genuine and refreshing.
With their colorful, natural comic timing, Izzy’s salon workers and besties, Destiny and Lola, who join Izzy on her Lavanian journey, bring hilarious spurts of comedy relief.
The film directed by Rick Jacobson skillfully uses and modernises romantic comedy cliches to offer viewers a deeper knowledge of the leads.
Negatives
There is little to no context in the writing. Today, people are ahead of the leads, not just in terms of character development, but also in terms of pointing out the obvious about respective dilemmas.
It’s a proven and reliable approach. It has the sense of several films of the same genre rolled into one. There is no depth to any of the characters, and they are also uninspired.
Worth it?
‘The Royal Treatment’ will make a lot of tween’s binge-watch list. But as a film, it doesn’t have a lot going for it.
Also Read: The Journalist (2022) review: Good premise falls short