You can’t help but love the bad guys.
With Descendants: The Rise of Red, Disney takes the viewer back into the world of baddies and their offspring. With the Fairy Godmother retiring, former Villain Kid, Uma (China Anne McLain) steps into the role of Headmaster of Auradon Prep. Remembering how hard it was for her to be excluded, Uma offers an invite to Red (Kylie Cantrall), the rebellious daughter of the evil Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) in Wonderland. After the Queen of Hearts attempts a coup against the nation that held her back, Red and Cinderella’s (Brandy) meticulous daughter, Chloe (Malia Baker) travel back in time in order to undo the event that sent Red’s mother down her villainous path.
For fans of the franchise, Rise of Red will be a welcome return to Auradon. After five years, this world may be focusing on a new cast of characters but the kingdom is as full of quasi-villanous fun as ever. Once again, the film is fueled by its pop-infused soundtrack and Rise of Red provides some of the franchise’s more memorable tunes. Songs like ‘What’s My Name?’, ‘Red’ and ‘Perfect Revenge’ have enough energy to guarantee that they’re played on repeat by kids over the summer months.
Now focusing the story around Cantrall’s Red, Descendants finally has a bit of a fresh start. Though set in the same world, the franchise is opening up its gates to explore the lives of other fantasy families that the original films missed. And the new cast seem to be enjoying themselves in the process. As the Queen of Hearts, Rita Ora fully embraces her mischievous side. Although she has limited screen time, she makes the most of it, throwing her cards with villainous glee. What’s more, the inclusion of Brandy as Cinderella is a fun throwback for parents as she returns to a role she made memorable in the late 90s.
But the most energetic performance comes from Cantrall. As the new focus of the franchise, Cantrall shows real promise. In moments when the script seems to let them down, Cantrall remains confident and engaged. During her musical numbers, she seems focused and gives her all.
Interestingly, while the original trilogy followed the journeys of the famous Disney villains and their kids, Rise of Red seems to take a different approach. Although the setting remains the same, travelling back in time allows the franchise to take a look at what made their parents who they are. For instance, long before she was the brutal Queen of Hearts, she was the cupcake-bearing Bridget, a charming young woman in her pre-villain era. The evil Queen who has seemed to care little for her daughter is showing her true Heart. And it completely changes Red’s perspective.
By meeting her before the ‘incident’, Red has a chance to look at her mother with compassionate eyes. Suddenly, Red begins to see her mother as more than a parent. Suddenly, she’s a normal teen, just like her. It’s an interesting change for a franchise that has reveled in keeping its famed Villains… well… villainous. Here, the next generation realizes that the previous generation had similar struggles that they did.
Admittedly, Rise of Red is far from perfect. One can see Disney’s use of time travel as an attempt to keep the re-use the same villains without having to pay the stars that played them. After all, why lose characters like Hades or Captain Hook when you can just recast younger versions of themselves. What’s more, there are moments when the script jumps around in ways that are jarring. (In fact, at one point, a major plot element is just assumed to be fixed, rather than actually confirming it.)
But none that really matters.
Sometimes, as a critic, we can get too wrapped up in story details and special effects. Disney knows that the most important review of Descendants: Rise of Red comes from my 9-year-old son who was positively captivated by the characters and musical numbers. I found myself repeatedly hearing comments of amazement. “That’s brutal,” he exclaimed over some of the villain’s treatment of one another. “It’s my new favourite one,” he told us immediately after the credits rolled. (And yes, he’s one of the ones who plays that soundtrack on repeat.) To him, this was an experience—and he loved every minute of it.
In the case of Descendants: Rise of Red, how can you get a better review than that?
Descendants: Rise of Red is available on Disney+ on Friday, July 12th, 2024.
