Descendants (2015 film)by Wolfen MoonsgetReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 6 (Note in the interest of full disclosure: my parents both work for Disney -- although neither of them was involved in the production of this film.)20 years ago, Belle (Keegan Connor Tracy), who plays Blue Fairy on Once Upon a Time) and the man known as the Beast (Dan Payne)united the kingdoms and gathered the villains, imprisoning the evildoers on an island. Now, the royal pair's son, Ben (Mitchell Hope), is about to be crowned king. As a step towards that role, asks that four children born to villains be transferred to his high school and thus be given a chance at a real life. Maleficent (Kristin Chenoweth) has other plans, her and her (pathetic) villain compatriots ordering their children to capture the wand if the Fairy Godmother (Melanie Paxson) in order to dispel the barrier that keeps the villains trapped and powerless. There's Mal (Dove Cameron), Maleficent's daughter, who bears her mother's book of spells and is something of a leader. There's Evie (Sofia Carson), the vain, gold-digging, and crafty (in an artistic way as much as clever, though she's that too) fashionista daughter of the Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy). There's Jay (Boo-Boo Stewart, who played Warpath in X-Men: Days of Future Past), thieving tough guy and casanova, son of Jafar (Maz Jobrani). And there's Carlos (Cameron Boyce, of Jessie and the new Gamers Guide to Pretty Much Everything), son of Cruella (Wendy Raquel Robinson); he's more interested in having fun than anything, and has a serious phobia of dogs. I watched this when it aired on TV, but it should be noted that it was released to video the same day. It should also be noted that there is an upcoming animated spin-off. I have mixed feelings -- fitting, as the film itself is such a hodge-podge. This is nominally a musical; thankfully, there really aren't that many numbers, but most of what there is feels thrown in to appeal to the High School Musical fans. The sound didn't seem well-connected to the scenes in those cases, and there were moments where it felt like an amateurish attempt at a music video. Even so, I have to admit I liked most of the songs and would listen to them on their own. As with another Disney property involving melding of fairytales, Once Upon a Time, there are strong references to the animated films Disney has done, but also stark differences. Most of the animated films are conjectured to take place in the 1800s, with Sleeping Beauty definitely taking place in the 1400s, but here, the stories coincide as if they happen in the same era, people are largely dressed as if they live in the 60s (probably to offer an extra-sharp contrast to the Medieval-Meets-Modern-Punk style of the villains' kids), there are modern cars, and there are cell phones, laptops, and internet usage. Well, it is a fairytale world, so I suppose they can develop the society at an accelerated rate and we should just roll with it ... but it has the effect of making the whole production feel cobbled together out of leftovers from other films, making it feel a bit disjointed and distancing it from the animated films to the point of making one wonder why they bothered referencing them in the first place, other than as some cheap narrative shorthand. And really, between the redemption arcs of Maleficent and Once Upon a Time, I'm kinda over seeing Maleficent as a villain -- and over scenery-chewing bad guys in general. (On the other hand, Chenoweth certainly was entertaining!) I do love redemption stories, but is this really one? When badness is all the kids have known, are they really villains? It doesn't help that they're quite tame in the badness department compared to their parents, their time on the island rushed through, and their supposedly villainous characterisation along with it. It makes their arc less satisfying than, say, if it were the villainous parents being redeemed. Now, there is a prequel novel that could offer much more in terms if backstory, but they really could have used that here, to give the story more resonance. A lot of things are left out along the way, too, or done by telling instead of showing, again with us just being expected, like with the sets and costumes and time periods, to take it in stride. The biggest thing for me: why is Ben being crowned king when his parents are still alive, and he's still a kid in high school? But also, the script couldn't seem to decide if Evie was really smart or not. If she was, why did she need to cheat at one point? If she wasn't, how did she pass that test? Why did she seem smitten with a non-royal and then suddenly seem hot for someone else? Why does Mal have a spellbook when Maleficent never used one? And Jay and especially Carlos were not given much to do. Despite the under-development, I really liked the villains' kids, and hope the animated series gives the guys more to do. I loved Carlos' arc with Duke, the school mascot, and would really have liked to see more / seen it drawn out, like other antagonistic encounters before the fateful one. But on the positive side, yay for all the grrl power exhibited with Mal and Evie and even the Godmother! Ben helps Mal, is depicted as her equal, but doesn't ever overshadow her; while at times Ben's dialogue and actions were (purposefully) campy (the film couldn't seem too decide if it was a farce or not), I enjoyed their scenes together, thought they had good chemistry (particularly when Ben was allowed to be less caricaturish), and loved the twist. I also enjoyed a twist in the climax, even though I saw it coming. I also appreciate that they didn't shy away from casting people of colour. Perhaps it's a little strange that biracial Cruella has a whiter-than-white son, but not impossible; I'm betting Boyce was cast first, and I like that that didn't stop them from making Cruella black. Now if only they had cast Dopey's son as a dwarf; while the actor playing him was engaging, I feel like a great opportunity was lost, particularly since it seems he'll be dating an important character. I wish there had been more of the famous children (and their families) shown. If Ariel and Eric's child shows up, will it be Melody, or will they ignore the sequel? I really want to see Rapunzel and Eugene (with or without a kid)! I do love that the children of some of the protagonists of the animated films were not nice people, driving home the idea that people are not their parents by showing that good people can have rotten children. Also, it made for a good "coming around" moment in the end for one of them, humanising them from being the walking cliché they had spent the bulk of the film as. (And before that point, there was an interaction with another character that helped explain why that first character was the way they were.) I like that the story simultaneously defies both the idea of Nature and Nurture, as both would suggest the children of villains would be doomed to villainy, but they made their choice once they saw there were options. The end was perhaps a bit overly-smarmy, but as I love happy endings and redemption, and there were some shining moments, I can't say I wasn't generally satisfied. Written: August 2, 2015
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