Descendants The Rise of Red brings audiences into a darker, more mature chapter of the familiar Descendants magical world. Rita Ora performs well as the evil and scary Queen of Hearts, while Kylie Cantrall portrays her rebellious daughter, Red. Red despises her mother’s cruelty and is invited to attend Auradon Prep School. Upon arriving with her mother, they meet Cinderella and her daughter, Chloe Charming, played by Malia Baker. The Queen of Hearts and Cinderella were once schoolmates. Unknown to Red, her mother causes chaos and takes over. Red possesses a time-traveling pocket watch and attempts to return a few minutes to prevent her mother’s actions. During the chaos, Chloe, trying to save her mother, clashes with Red, not realizing that Red is also trying to stop her mom. Instead of traveling back a few minutes, they are transported back several years to when their parents were in school. To save their current timeline from the Queen of Hearts, Red and Chloe must prevent a horrible prank that shaped the Queen of Hearts into the villain she is today. Will they succeed in time, or will their actions lead to more dangerous consequences?

Descendants: The Rise of Red is a wonderful film with a great story, good action, and some comedy. One standout aspect is that it’s far darker and more mature than the previous films. Unlike the earlier movies, which aimed at young kids, this one considers families and older audiences. From the start, this film fixes all the issues, from the script to the comedy, and does not treat the audience as a little dumb compared to the previous films. The comedy is more mature, with two moments that made me laugh: a joke about Red’s reaction to someone’s dad in a song and when Chloe says, “I wondered,” referring to Wonderland, along with a few other comedic moments. I was invested in the story, and when we were introduced to both our lead characters, we got action scenes from a small sword fight to more. Descendants portray the impact of bullying on individuals by highlighting how the harm from bullying can last over time and how the harm doesn’t just disappear after the bullying has stopped. The film highlights a meaningful and relevant issue. This portrayal is significant as it mirrors real-life experiences, emphasizing the importance of addressing and understanding the consequences of bullying. The film also features characters from previous movies and pays tribute to Cameron Boyce as Carlos.

Kylie Cantrall is amazing as Red. What I loved about her character was that she was badass but she never was very mean or evil like her mum, just sometimes cold and harsh, this was due to how she had grown up. Red also wanted to do the right thing and stand up for what was right. I was drawn to Red and liked her character because she had never started as a villain. Kylie’s facial expressions are excellent at portraying her darker, rebellious side, and she can switch between expressions effortlessly. For example, when a character can’t reach the pocket watch, Red does this half-smirk and a specific cool look with her eyes. She looked half-surprised that they were working together but found it amusing that Chloe couldn’t reach it. Malia Baker is as fantastic as Chloe. Her performance shows a mix of kindness and bravery, with her character growing throughout the film. Chloe likely faces the most challenging circumstances, discovering something deeply upsetting yet maintaining her hope. Her strength is evident as she remains positive and determined throughout.

Additionally, since it’s a Disney film, the narrative avoids becoming too dark by not dwelling excessively on the distressing events. She gave me princess vibes with the way she acted and talked. We are also introduced to Morgan Dudley as the teenage Cinderella called Ella and Ruby Rose Turner as Bridget, the young Queen of Hearts. Their performances are enjoyable, while Bridget’s has a lot of positivity and is girly, contrasting Ella’s seriousness and determination to stand up for what’s right. In my opinion, her character was very mature and wise for her age. This makes for a unique premise: Young Cinderella acts like Red, and the young Queen of Hearts mirrors Cinderella, but they swap roles as they grow up. Dara Reneé is also suitable as one of the villain kids. When speaking with the film’s cast, Ruby told me she spent two months learning card tricks and shuffling, and her performance paid off when watching the film. The songs in the movie are excellent, with two being particularly catchy. The cast is exceptionally talented, and all have beautiful voices. The costumes are amazing, with Red’s badass jacket and boots, Chloe’s sequin outfit, and shiny glass shoes standing out. The sets and special effects are much better than in previous films.

The Rise of Red did have some slight issues, but a few minor spoilers impacted the second half significantly. The ending, in particular, felt extremely rushed. For instance, stopping the prank and everyone suddenly becoming happy didn’t make much sense, given the Queen of Hearts’ history of horrible actions. There should have been more exploration of the lingering darkness within her character, as it felt like the film brushed over these parts. Additionally, the ending was quite abrupt and wrapped up too quickly. I hope the sequel delves deeper into these unresolved aspects and continues to explore the Queen of Hearts’ darker side, as it was unrealistic for all her evil traits to vanish so suddenly.

Overall, this film was amazing, with a fantastic story, a great cast, good songs, and a more mature, dark tone. I do wish the ending wasn’t rushed, but other than that, it was a wonderful film, and I can’t wait for the next part of the franchise!

4 ⭐️