‘Descendants: Rise of Red’ Review: The Queen of Hearts and Cinderella’s Daughters on a Mission
Director: Jennifer Phang-Stars Script: Dan Frey and Ru Sommer | Cast: Kylie Cantrall (Roja), Malia Baker (Chloe), Dara Renée (Uliana), Ruby Rose Turner (Bridget), Morgan Dudley (Ella), Brandy (Assepoester), etc. Time to play: 91 minutes | Year: 2024
In 2015, Disney came up with the first Decendentsfilm, yet another attempt by the film studio to risk its own reputation. Capitalizing on the popularity of Disney’s major titles entered a new phase. The series focuses on the descendants of Disney’s most famous villains, who have not only adopted many of the physical characteristics of their infamous parents, but also many of their personalities. Two sequels have already followed, in which the criminal brood was expanded even further.
Descendants: The Rise of Red It is the fourth part of the series, which revolves mainly around Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. Alice in Wonderland and in front of Chloe, who may consider Cinderella as her mother. The battle scene is still the fictional kingdom of Auradon, which was founded by the now real-life Beauty and the Beast. The bad guys have been banished to an island, but their children have a new chance in Aurodon, where they compete against each other and for reputation at a prestigious school.
The fourth part can again be considered a spin-off, but it contains the characteristic ingredients of the previous parts. The characters not only sing regularly, but also shop like crazy in the shop for colorful wigs and costumes. This time it is the daughter of the sea witch Urusula who has taken over the position of leader of the Petemoei boarding school in Cinderella.She opens the floodgates of villain exile across the island and brings in Red.
Red and Chloe do their best to change the past with a time machine and prevent the Queen of Hearts from going down the wrong path. The characters are given depth by highlighting their backgrounds. For example, how did Chloe end up in the same misery as her mother, who married the handsome prince at the end of the story? These are constructions that are hard to convince. The characters may also wonder why they are hitting exactly the same rock as their famous parents.
It doesn’t really matter much what is done to the descendants of Disney villains and therefore that is not the main goal of the Decendents-movies. There is a constant struggle between good and evil, accompanied by hatred and envy, in which the reputation of the parents is skillfully used. In addition, it is clear that the spin-off series is aimed at a specific target group, who will love the external appearance and lush, partly computer-generated locations.
It is very attractive to turn on Disney Plus with a sour look and also this fourth Decendents-part can be immediately dismissed as an uninspired rehash of well-known Disney titles. The young viewers the films are aimed at will no doubt be taken aback by the decor and the likeable characters. The look of this fourth part may also be a little plastic – the production value is high. Money that could have been better spent on more layered characters and stories and a bit more humour. Also, it’s a missed opportunity that the theme of avoiding your parents’ mistakes, despite Red’s attempts to do otherwise, isn’t tackled more thoroughly. After all, an appealing morality and simple entertainment can go hand in hand.
Descendants: The Rise of Red can be seen in Disney+.