Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red is here! In the film, former VK Uma (China Anne McClain), is now serving as the principal of Auradon Prep. She invites another Villian Kid, Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland, to join the school. However, when the Queen of Hearts instigates a coup against Auradon, Red and Cinderella’s daughter Chloe embark on a journey back in time to prevent the pivotal event that led Red’s mother towards villainy.

The premise has so much promise. Playing with time is never clear-cut and always messy, and the tag at the end lets the viewer know…this isn’t the end. Let’s dive into it!

Descendants: The Rise of Red has new songs and fun choreography!

If there’s one thing fans of the Descendants franchise know we’re gonna get new music and fun choreography to learn. I love hearing Red (Kylie Cantrall) tackle Uma’s infamous song, “What’s My Name!” The new music is very different from the previous films in the franchise. It’s more modern, less musical theater and more Lin Manuel Miranda inspired for lack of a better description. Usually, I can’t wait to pump the soundtracks in my car. This time, it’s a miss for me, but it might be great for the younger kids.

The cast is fantastic. Brandy and Paolo Montalban return as Cinderella and Prince Charming! They’re there to see Chloe off to school, as well as be the catalyst for Rita Ora’s Queen of Hearts coup. Ora is so fun as a villain and I can’t wait to see where her story goes. Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker as Red and Chloe as adorable together. They look like they’re having a blast in every scene and number. My favorites are always the VK kids. Dara Reneé is so great to watch as Ulyana, the leader of the VK’s at school, as well as Uma’s aunt. You can see where this family gets their attitude from. I also loved the little moments of seeing Hades and Maleficent flirting in the background hinting at things to come.

Ruby Rose Turner and Morgan Dudley do a great job as their younger counterparts. The Queen of Hearts we know is very “Off with their heads!”. The version we meet back in time is cute, bubbly, and not very liked at school. So, it makes you wonder how she did a 180 in life. Young Cinderella is much less regal and more real. She’s against the establishment and has a very flirty relationship with Prince Charming, which goes against her ideals. However, we all know love can change things.

WHY SO VAGUE?

When watching Descendants: The Rise of Red I think the premise has so much potential. However, my biggest issue is the vagueness of the script. Throughout the story, we learn that a prank was played on the young Queen of Hearts (Ruby Rose Turner) causing her to turn against everyone and become the evil woman we met in the present day. However, we never learn exactly what this prank is. We know it’s in a forbidden book, and that the girls stop Ulyana from getting it.

So, when they return to the present day all the bad things didn’t happen and the Queen of Hearts is kind. It’s all tied up in a pretty bow. Now, I know a lot about messing with time. It’s never easy and it’s never clean. They made a whole movie about it called Butterfly Affect.

So, when we return to the present day everything seems great. The secret prank never happened, but I have so many questions. Do Chloe and Red have new memories? Do the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella remember meeting their daughters cause they look exactly the same? Why is everything so perfect?

Descendants: The Rise of Red doesn’t end on much of a cliffhanger at the end of the 90-minute movie (the shortest of the franchise). Instead, we get a voice-over saying, “You didn’t think that was the end of the story?” Well, yes…yes, I did. If you’re going to write a pure set-up film with low stakes you have to give me a better cliffhanger ending. If there’s no dun dun dun to hold onto I’m going to think this lackluster ending is what happened.

Overall, the vagueness of the story does a disservice to the efforts put in by everyone else. Give viewers the details otherwise Descendants: The Rise of Red feels unnecessary.

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DESCENDANTS: THE RISE OF RED – Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker | THS Interview