RitaOra – Credits Rolling

Once upon a time, Descendants was a beloved trilogy featuring Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson and Cameron Boyce. When the original films wrapped, fans weren’t sure what was going to happen to the franchise. In 2024, a spin off was born. Audiences were taken on a journey to Wonderland and were introduced to new characters such as Red (Kylie Cantrall), Chloe (Malia Baker) as well as the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) and Cinderella (Brandy). It was off to a shaky start and I was doubtful when the next film, Wicked Wonderland, was announced. But curiosity got the better of me and now here we are.

Picking up after the events of The Rise of Red, Red and Chloe are adjusting to life after their time traveling adventures. Although they got what they wanted: the Queen of Hearts is now kind and Cinderella is safe, there are still consequences for altering the timeline. Soon, a new foe makes himself known. Maddox Hatter (Leonardo Nam) is out for justice and when he captures the Queen of Hearts, it is up to Red, Chloe and their new friends to save her and Wonderland.

This film was more enjoyable than the last. I thought the storyline was more intriguing and the new characters were welcome additions. Red now has a sister named Pink (Liamani Segura) who came about due to the timeline change. As Pink is my happy color, I loved that there is now a character that perfectly encapsulates everything pink. We also got to know Hazel Hook (Kiara T. Romero), Captain Hook’s daughter and Luis Madrigal (Alexandro Byrd), Luisa Madrigal’s son. My only qualm with Luis was that he possessed the same magical powers as his mother, which if you have seen Encanto, does not align with the rules of magical powers. The hints of a romantic relationship between Red and Luis as well as Chloe and Hazel were apparent and they peaked my interest. I’d be up for more of them in the inevitable next instalment.

Where I couldn’t help but feel let down was just in the lack of magic. While the sets are a beautiful technicolor palette that is so appealing to my senses, it feels like something is missing. The acting is subpar at best and the songs are not as catchy as they once were. The only stand out for me this time around was the duet between Brandy and Ora and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was largely because they are so iconic themselves. I can’t remember any of the other ones.

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland was a step up from its predecessor. I was more invested this time around thanks to the interesting plot and the new faces. It will never hold a candle to the first three films, but perhaps it doesn’t have to. Maybe it can stand on its own. I’ll continue to watch, but I need to stop expecting it to be something it’s not.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Five years after the original trilogy came to a close, the Descendants are back. The Rise of Red follows Red (Kylie Cantrall), the daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), who is nothing like her tyrant mother. When chaos breaks out in Auradon, Red is forced to team up with Chloe (Malia Barker), the daughter of Cinderella (Brandy) who just so happens to be the former best friend of the Queen of Hearts. Together they must travel back in time to change the future.

When I first heard that they were making a sequel to the franchise, I didn’t think it was really necessary. The way in which they ended things in the last installment seemed fitting and the fact that none of the OG four characters were attached to the project had me skeptical. Still I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about and unfortunately I walked away feeling disappointed.

One of the aspects I did like was the introduction of some new characters. Red was a decent enough protagonist and I thought that Ora completely embodied the role of the Queen of Hearts. It was also cool how they incorporated Brandy’s Cinderella and Paolo Montalban’s King Charming and of course it was nice to see China Anne McClain reprise her role as Uma, the only bridge between the old and new stories.

The songs and choreography didn’t feel synonymous with what we had seen before. You could tell that there was no cohesion between when Kenny Ortega was at the helm and now with Jennifer Phang. I couldn’t help but think that they were trying too hard to incorporate some Tik Tok fads as well which is something I couldn’t relate to.

Another thing that really bothered me was how clunky the plot played out. The first two acts were fine but the third went by in the blink of an eye with no proper wrap up! They’d built up the Castlecoming Dance the whole way through and then the audience didn’t even see it happen. There wasn’t even an epic final performance to end on a high note.

Overall, Descendants: The Rise of Red was a letdown. I didn’t have high hopes to begin with but this was just poorly executed and unnecessary. I feel bad for the longtime fans who were looking forward to this one.

Rating: ♥️♥️