69 reviews
The story is not interesting, and adding new character. it like they try to push the 4 main one down with this Uma character. The dance is not as sharp as the old one. The last scene where a dragon fight with an octopus, really? In many way, everyone know dragon would kill that octopus for lunch not like it has a very hard time fighting it. come on Disney, you guys really going down hill.
- tim_parker-20344
- Aug 8, 2017
- Permalink
- Flippo9204
- Feb 16, 2020
- Permalink
The 2015 DCOM "Descendants" proved to be incredibly popular among the kids, and not without good reason. However I was given some negative responses to my IMDB user review of the movie, which is something all IMDb users are at risk of getting. Just because I didn't feel the same way most people did about it doesn't mean I was unsympathetic towards the main characters. Whatever misgivings I may have had about the previous movie, it had nothing to do with Dove. Before the movie, Cameron herself said this would blow the first movie out of the water, and I have to admit I was impressed.
Mal is on the verge of marrying Prince Ben, and is overwhelmed by the publicity. Before we see what she's living with, we get a fantasy sequence used as the theme song, and I have to admit, no matter who mentions any song called "Ways to be Wicked," I always think of the Lone Justice song from the 1980's. The daughter of Maleficent is caught off guard by the prospects of marriage, as well as the prince showering her with gifts, including a new scooter. She's also facing pressure to turn her spell book over to the "Museum of Cultural History," which she has been reluctant to do. In the meantime, Carlos has been crushing on the fairy godmother's daughter Jane (who looks better in the sequel, BTW), Jay is winning the heart of Lonnie, and trying to get her a spot on the fencing team. Evie is adjusting well to life in Auradon, and even helping those in need. After being caught using her spell book for a date with Ben who chastises her over it, she finally breaks down and is ready to give up and return to the Isle of the Lost.
Certainly no slouch when it comes to talent is China Anne McClain, who plays Uma, the daughter of Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." Disney probably wanted her for a few more projects since she became the third wheel on her own sitcom, and they got their money's worth with McClain. With the sons of Captain Hook, Gaston, and lesser pirates, Uma more or less runs the island, as well as a seafood dive bar and restaurant But seeing Mal on TV apparently living the good life pisses her off.
On the isle, we meet a pre-teen hairdresser named Dizzy Tremaine (Anna Cathcart), who is the granddaughter of one of the evil stepsisters of Cinderella. With her messy pigtails, color-splattered frock, and purple cat-eyeglasses barely hiding her copper eye shadow, Dizzy's true talent as a hairstylist is overlooked by her grandmother, but not by Mal or Evie. Unlike the other kids of the villains, she is anything but evil. Mal also keeps her from being victimized in an extortion racket by one of Uma's gang, which leads to the revelation that she has returned, and so has her purple hair.
Feeling guilty over trying to change his girlfriend and driving her away, he decided to go to follow her to her former prison island, and Evie, Jay, and Carlos know they have to go with the Prince, at least partially for his protection. They eventually find her and he tries to talk her into coming back, through no avail. While Mal loves the Prince, and life on Auradon, she feels she's a liability to her boyfriend, the royal family, and the kingdoms. But then Evie starts off a duet of "The Space Between," and everything seems like it's going to be okay.
Unfortunately Ben gets kidnapped in the process of trying to bring Mal home, she demands that Uma let him loose. Meanwhile Ben tells her abductor that the effort to bring the villain kids away from their evil parents influence was going to be expanded to other kids and could've even included her. The new villain makes a deal with the future princess and demands the fairy godmother's wand. The villain kids return home to make a fake wand with a 3-D printer, and bring it to Uma as a substitute this time with the help of Lonnie. They have a musical number before the exchange, with a bridge where Prince Ben urges the girls not to fight, but they go through with it anyway, and battle each other when Uma finds out it's fake, but not before returning Ben. I smelled a sequel to this the moment that Mal's spell-book was dropped on the Isle of the Lost as they tried to escape, and to be honest, I'm open to the idea. I also wish I was able to say something about the possibility of a third movie in my review before the first promo for it. I won't spoil the ending if you haven't seen it already, but the first four refugees of the Isle of the Lost do defeat the remaining villains. Also the post-credit ending is better than anything Kenny Ortega did with his previous franchise.
Having said that, there are only so many years that the cast can continue to be believable as their characters, and unless I'm mistaken Melissa De La Cruz's books will outnumber the movies that the cast can make. So the idea that the third one could be the last won't surprise me at all.
Mal is on the verge of marrying Prince Ben, and is overwhelmed by the publicity. Before we see what she's living with, we get a fantasy sequence used as the theme song, and I have to admit, no matter who mentions any song called "Ways to be Wicked," I always think of the Lone Justice song from the 1980's. The daughter of Maleficent is caught off guard by the prospects of marriage, as well as the prince showering her with gifts, including a new scooter. She's also facing pressure to turn her spell book over to the "Museum of Cultural History," which she has been reluctant to do. In the meantime, Carlos has been crushing on the fairy godmother's daughter Jane (who looks better in the sequel, BTW), Jay is winning the heart of Lonnie, and trying to get her a spot on the fencing team. Evie is adjusting well to life in Auradon, and even helping those in need. After being caught using her spell book for a date with Ben who chastises her over it, she finally breaks down and is ready to give up and return to the Isle of the Lost.
Certainly no slouch when it comes to talent is China Anne McClain, who plays Uma, the daughter of Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." Disney probably wanted her for a few more projects since she became the third wheel on her own sitcom, and they got their money's worth with McClain. With the sons of Captain Hook, Gaston, and lesser pirates, Uma more or less runs the island, as well as a seafood dive bar and restaurant But seeing Mal on TV apparently living the good life pisses her off.
On the isle, we meet a pre-teen hairdresser named Dizzy Tremaine (Anna Cathcart), who is the granddaughter of one of the evil stepsisters of Cinderella. With her messy pigtails, color-splattered frock, and purple cat-eyeglasses barely hiding her copper eye shadow, Dizzy's true talent as a hairstylist is overlooked by her grandmother, but not by Mal or Evie. Unlike the other kids of the villains, she is anything but evil. Mal also keeps her from being victimized in an extortion racket by one of Uma's gang, which leads to the revelation that she has returned, and so has her purple hair.
Feeling guilty over trying to change his girlfriend and driving her away, he decided to go to follow her to her former prison island, and Evie, Jay, and Carlos know they have to go with the Prince, at least partially for his protection. They eventually find her and he tries to talk her into coming back, through no avail. While Mal loves the Prince, and life on Auradon, she feels she's a liability to her boyfriend, the royal family, and the kingdoms. But then Evie starts off a duet of "The Space Between," and everything seems like it's going to be okay.
Unfortunately Ben gets kidnapped in the process of trying to bring Mal home, she demands that Uma let him loose. Meanwhile Ben tells her abductor that the effort to bring the villain kids away from their evil parents influence was going to be expanded to other kids and could've even included her. The new villain makes a deal with the future princess and demands the fairy godmother's wand. The villain kids return home to make a fake wand with a 3-D printer, and bring it to Uma as a substitute this time with the help of Lonnie. They have a musical number before the exchange, with a bridge where Prince Ben urges the girls not to fight, but they go through with it anyway, and battle each other when Uma finds out it's fake, but not before returning Ben. I smelled a sequel to this the moment that Mal's spell-book was dropped on the Isle of the Lost as they tried to escape, and to be honest, I'm open to the idea. I also wish I was able to say something about the possibility of a third movie in my review before the first promo for it. I won't spoil the ending if you haven't seen it already, but the first four refugees of the Isle of the Lost do defeat the remaining villains. Also the post-credit ending is better than anything Kenny Ortega did with his previous franchise.
Having said that, there are only so many years that the cast can continue to be believable as their characters, and unless I'm mistaken Melissa De La Cruz's books will outnumber the movies that the cast can make. So the idea that the third one could be the last won't surprise me at all.
The 103rd Disney Channel Original Movie. A sequel to the 2015 film of the same name. One of the most expected film, at least for a television film and by the Disney fans. And the children. I am not one, but ever since I was young, I loved Disney films and never stopped, yet. Especially after the massive hit song, 'Ways to be Wicked', the countdown for July 21st had began. So here we are!
The first film was unexpected. I did not think it would work, but it did. Seeing from some fresh perspective, particularly the new generation of classic villains really brought a modern day flavour for the fantasy genre. BUT, this part was not as good as the previous one. An enjoyable film, no doubt on that, it had some decent moments. Yet what's really missing was the COMEDY. The original had lots of fun, whereas this film became more serious. Obviously it's still fall under PG. So in my opinion, the children might find it fun to watch than the grownups.
From the same director, who had helmed many films for Disney Channel. A decent graphics too, which did not required in the big scale, excluding in the climax. Visually, that part was acceptable, but I expected a bit more spectacular. An average story. It is mostly about a rescue mission, that takes place equally at Auradon and Isle of the Lost. From all, Uma's big entry marks this film. So it is more like a clash of the villains, where the heroes are sidelined with a limited scope.
As always, Mal led the entire film. Apart from her education, she's now more a Auradonian by appearance with a big makeover. Though, her relationship with Ben has been tested. And following that, the heartbroken Mal returns home. The real action-adventure began when Ben got into a trouble while pursuing his love. So the gang of the good villains and the bad ones had no choice, but to battle it out with all their strength. And with a small twist, the issue was resolved, revealing who ended where.
❝You can stick a tiara on a villain, but you're still a villain.❞
Truly it was like watching some Indian film, mainly because of the colours. Yep, it was enchanting with those colours, as it could be costumes or the backgrounds and settings, but I loved it. It makes the teen girls envious. Only if it has a better screenplay, would have been an even better flick. The performances were wonderful. The old cast was good as always. And the new ones had granted the film to get more powerful. Especially I'm talking about Uma, the daughter of Ursala, a sea witch from 'The Little Mermaid'.
The film opened with the YouTube hit song that I mentioned earlier. There are like ten songs and all were good that nearly covered the one-third of the film. Setting in different mood and place and with the characters, really it was well done on the musical side of the film. Crucially, none of them were annoying, because of placed in the right segment of the storyline. Usually I'm not the fan of modern musicals, but this was good, especially having short and sweet tracks.
This is not simply a fantasy film that of the two decades ago. It borrowed the present world technology, like the 3D printing concept. That thing had some important role in the story segment. But when the dog could speak, it was like going back to the classic like in the animation. By the way I felt like there's some connection between Dude the dog and 'Dog with a Blog'. So there were some brief ups and downs, but the entire film rode on just over the average.
It was telecasted simultaneously in all the sub-Disney networks, as well as worldwide in other kid's networks. So it is now the second most watched DCOM of all time. This ending was not perfect, yet opened the gate for possible widening its cast even bigger if there will be a third. As to how it was received, I don't see the Disney thinking to put a brake to the potential franchise. In my opinion, it might become the longest film series for Disney Channel, which could drag for coming decades. So, dear Disney, lets us know when's the next one's due. Meantime, you keep updated with the first two if you haven't seen them yet. Who knows, it might surprise you, but surely for your kids.
6/10
The first film was unexpected. I did not think it would work, but it did. Seeing from some fresh perspective, particularly the new generation of classic villains really brought a modern day flavour for the fantasy genre. BUT, this part was not as good as the previous one. An enjoyable film, no doubt on that, it had some decent moments. Yet what's really missing was the COMEDY. The original had lots of fun, whereas this film became more serious. Obviously it's still fall under PG. So in my opinion, the children might find it fun to watch than the grownups.
From the same director, who had helmed many films for Disney Channel. A decent graphics too, which did not required in the big scale, excluding in the climax. Visually, that part was acceptable, but I expected a bit more spectacular. An average story. It is mostly about a rescue mission, that takes place equally at Auradon and Isle of the Lost. From all, Uma's big entry marks this film. So it is more like a clash of the villains, where the heroes are sidelined with a limited scope.
As always, Mal led the entire film. Apart from her education, she's now more a Auradonian by appearance with a big makeover. Though, her relationship with Ben has been tested. And following that, the heartbroken Mal returns home. The real action-adventure began when Ben got into a trouble while pursuing his love. So the gang of the good villains and the bad ones had no choice, but to battle it out with all their strength. And with a small twist, the issue was resolved, revealing who ended where.
❝You can stick a tiara on a villain, but you're still a villain.❞
Truly it was like watching some Indian film, mainly because of the colours. Yep, it was enchanting with those colours, as it could be costumes or the backgrounds and settings, but I loved it. It makes the teen girls envious. Only if it has a better screenplay, would have been an even better flick. The performances were wonderful. The old cast was good as always. And the new ones had granted the film to get more powerful. Especially I'm talking about Uma, the daughter of Ursala, a sea witch from 'The Little Mermaid'.
The film opened with the YouTube hit song that I mentioned earlier. There are like ten songs and all were good that nearly covered the one-third of the film. Setting in different mood and place and with the characters, really it was well done on the musical side of the film. Crucially, none of them were annoying, because of placed in the right segment of the storyline. Usually I'm not the fan of modern musicals, but this was good, especially having short and sweet tracks.
This is not simply a fantasy film that of the two decades ago. It borrowed the present world technology, like the 3D printing concept. That thing had some important role in the story segment. But when the dog could speak, it was like going back to the classic like in the animation. By the way I felt like there's some connection between Dude the dog and 'Dog with a Blog'. So there were some brief ups and downs, but the entire film rode on just over the average.
It was telecasted simultaneously in all the sub-Disney networks, as well as worldwide in other kid's networks. So it is now the second most watched DCOM of all time. This ending was not perfect, yet opened the gate for possible widening its cast even bigger if there will be a third. As to how it was received, I don't see the Disney thinking to put a brake to the potential franchise. In my opinion, it might become the longest film series for Disney Channel, which could drag for coming decades. So, dear Disney, lets us know when's the next one's due. Meantime, you keep updated with the first two if you haven't seen them yet. Who knows, it might surprise you, but surely for your kids.
6/10
- Reno-Rangan
- Aug 13, 2017
- Permalink
'Descendants' became a guilty pleasure of mine. How could you go wrong, with Kristen chenoweth and Kathy najimy? Well I'll tell you how: 'descendants 2'. Remove acting greats from the equation and you just have another campy Disney channel movie. I'll also admit I'm a hopeless romantic who fell for mal and ben's relationship in the first one. Well, the 2nd takes that away for a while, leaving me to be quite bored. Again, Campy. Not even the music was as good this time around. The films redeeming quality doesn't come until the end. I won't spoil it but let's just all say thank god for Disney channel finally allowing some PDA! Even so, I'll stick to the first one, which at least evoked emotion out of me, including 'if only' which I still can't listen to without crying!
- sunchick116-872-583383
- Aug 17, 2017
- Permalink
Despite being better than the original, Descendants 2 still isn't a very good movie. The characters and plot are still pretty lame.
First off I love the Idea some of the characters of these movies, but the execution is always lacking. Disney made bank off of the first one but it doesn't feel like they put any more money and effort into this one.
First off the CGI is completely HORRIBLE!!!! It really took me out of the show every time there was any CGI.
Second the "Costume Designers" should be fired as a lot of the colors clash and the clothes never seem to fit correctly.
The Acting and story was below what they should be aiming for as some areas felt really forced or unnatural. Cameron Boyce seemed to do OK but non of them can do great with this story.
It also doesn't tie into the Wicked world series as non of the new characters from that show were even in the movie. I also find Wicked Worlds story to be more interesting.
Now on to the singing.... Why was 99% of this show completely auto-tuned??? I know auto-tune can have a cool effect when used sparingly but they used it to the point that ruined songs!
The sets were very basic with horrible lighting.Why does this feel like a good high school drama set?
I also really wish they would add some better characters. Dopeys son feels forced there was no need for chad (the second son to the throne). I would love to see some of the wicked world cast and maybe the mad hatters daughter/son. Someone that is a little mad but in a good way. Pouring tea in a inopportune time or buttering a watch or celebrating someones unbirthday. There seems to be so many opportunities that they missed with the character choice. I also think they need to do something to the Beasts son Ben. Not only is his actor horrible but is character is very bland. Maybe get under a curse that changes how he looks so they can get a better actor and change his personality.
Please Disney I want to love this but your cheapness isn't helping. Just reboot it into a full blown movie and get good people to work on it. These actors could probably do a lot more if you give them something better. Shoot Booboo Stewart was actually good in the twilight Movies (not that I liked twilight that much).
First off the CGI is completely HORRIBLE!!!! It really took me out of the show every time there was any CGI.
Second the "Costume Designers" should be fired as a lot of the colors clash and the clothes never seem to fit correctly.
The Acting and story was below what they should be aiming for as some areas felt really forced or unnatural. Cameron Boyce seemed to do OK but non of them can do great with this story.
It also doesn't tie into the Wicked world series as non of the new characters from that show were even in the movie. I also find Wicked Worlds story to be more interesting.
Now on to the singing.... Why was 99% of this show completely auto-tuned??? I know auto-tune can have a cool effect when used sparingly but they used it to the point that ruined songs!
The sets were very basic with horrible lighting.Why does this feel like a good high school drama set?
I also really wish they would add some better characters. Dopeys son feels forced there was no need for chad (the second son to the throne). I would love to see some of the wicked world cast and maybe the mad hatters daughter/son. Someone that is a little mad but in a good way. Pouring tea in a inopportune time or buttering a watch or celebrating someones unbirthday. There seems to be so many opportunities that they missed with the character choice. I also think they need to do something to the Beasts son Ben. Not only is his actor horrible but is character is very bland. Maybe get under a curse that changes how he looks so they can get a better actor and change his personality.
Please Disney I want to love this but your cheapness isn't helping. Just reboot it into a full blown movie and get good people to work on it. These actors could probably do a lot more if you give them something better. Shoot Booboo Stewart was actually good in the twilight Movies (not that I liked twilight that much).
- stereo_1999
- Jul 22, 2017
- Permalink
Less inspired than the first, but man if this universe isn't still squeezing out plenty of great dance numbers and lots of bright fun. The diversity of all types in the casting is noble, and the song between Eve and Mal is a sweet celebration of female friendship.
- matthewssilverhammer
- Oct 14, 2019
- Permalink
Descendants was a very popular fantasy comedy released by Disney in 2015. The film told the story about the Fairytale Kingdom divided into the land of Auradon, where only good people live who do good things, and the Island of the Lost inhabited by the villains. A group of evil kids is sent to Auradon on a secret mission to steal the magic wand and conquer the world. The film was such a huge success that the studio immediately announced the sequel. Crowds of fans (me among them) were waiting to the second installment of the story. Well, I really hate to say it but much to my regret Descendants 2 disappointed me. The sequel turned out to be a global scale disaster. The plot is just reused from the first film. Another batch of villain kids arrive on the scene and, yes, they again want the magic wand. Come on! We have already seen it all! Can not Disney find writers who are able to come up with brand new ideas? But the biggest problem is the characters. They are blank. In the first film the characters were multidimensional. The bad guys were not just bad, they were grumpy, they were cowardly and they were funny. And the good guys (and it was the most interesting part of the story) appeared to be not so good after all. They were prone to the bouts of vanity and jealousy. And that was what made them alive and helped the story evolve till the unpredictable twist ending. The sequel has none of the above. The characters are cardboard cut and the story is just boring. And where is the humour? It is gone! The jokes are few and far between. All in all I must report that Descendants 2 fell flat on its face and even the magic wand could not save it.
- magee-42745
- Feb 16, 2018
- Permalink
I did like the first Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants (2015) with its good songs, good enough performances, and a premise that could work involving the children of famous Disney villains, despite the movie being by the numbers with its interesting premise and cheesy, cringey, or over the top performances or lines of dialogue; with the sequel I was interested in how they could build this Descendants world more and more by having new characters and maybe some new songs that could be better or as good as the first. The sequel Descendants 2 (2017) was enjoyable enough to watch like the first with good enough performances, better songs than the first, a premise that kind of builds on the world and how it works, a mix of over-the-top and standard characters, cheesy or cringey lines of dialogue, ok CG digital effects, and an occasional annoying character; this film is not as by the numbers at the first, but the main plot that involves Mal going back to the Isle of the Lost because of pressure in Auradon starts and ends quickly from the midway point in the first act to near the ending of the second act, which could be fine but the rest of the third act is just them processing what happened until this main dance/ceremony in the third act climax.
I still like Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Cameron Boyce, and Booboo Stewart as the villain kids Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay who are all well-adjusted to Auradon with each one of them having something going on, like Carlos trying to ask out a girl he likes or Jay being a captain in this sport team at the school that is like fencing; Mal feeling the pressure of being the girlfriend of prince Ben was believable enough for me to understand where she coming from, and I kind of like some of the small issues in Mal and Ben's relationship involving how one can love the other because of where they are originally from. Prince Ben played again by Mitchell Hope was still not that bad of a character because despite having his focus being pulled away from Mal because of his duty as prince, he does go into the Isle of the Lost to talk to her, along with him just wanting to be with her more proving his love for her; he still has standard prince status but there are moments where he gives more emotion than just having a generic happy expression and not having much direction. Lastly, the rest of the characters including other students at the school were either over the top in their performances or they were a bit cringey, along with the dog Carlos is friends with being able to talk for no reason except to say something stupid with its decent CG mouth.
The main villain is the daughter of Ursula named Uma played well by China Anne McClain, who was an entertaining character who has a rivalry with Mal ever since she was at the Isle of the Lost and now wanting Fairy Godmother's wand because she is jealous of what Mal has now and that she wants to destroy the barrier between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost to unleash every single villain; she has a pretty good villain song and you can understand why she is doing what she is doing, which is why I liked her as a villain more than the first movie's villain. The focus of the movie, other than having to save Ben from Uma at one point, is Mal going back to the Isle of the Lost because of all the pressure in Auradon, which starts quickly in the first act and ends quickly halfway in the movie making me wish they focused more on it like they were supposed to; the relationship between Mal and Ben was believable with the little issues they have to talk about, and there was an occasional cute moment, along with the songs being better than the first movie with decent CGI visual effects when using magic, and an occasional use of green screen and cool uses of sets that goes well with the well-done dance choreography.
The sequel Descendants 2 (2017) was enjoyable enough to watch like the first with good enough performances, better songs than the first, a premise that kind of builds on the world and how it works, a mix of over-the-top and standard characters, cheesy or cringey lines of dialogue, ok CG digital effects, and an occasional annoying character; this film is not as by the numbers at the first, but the main plot that involves Mal going back to the Isle of the Lost because of pressure in Auradon starts and ends quickly and the rest of the movie just goes back to low stakes for a while until the third act climax. Lastly, I will just say that this movie is not excellent by any means, but you can put this on like the first, which is why I will say that I liked it as much as the first; it is hard to complain about this film because you know what you are going to get going into it, and it is pretty much harmless and enjoyable enough to watch.
I still like Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Cameron Boyce, and Booboo Stewart as the villain kids Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay who are all well-adjusted to Auradon with each one of them having something going on, like Carlos trying to ask out a girl he likes or Jay being a captain in this sport team at the school that is like fencing; Mal feeling the pressure of being the girlfriend of prince Ben was believable enough for me to understand where she coming from, and I kind of like some of the small issues in Mal and Ben's relationship involving how one can love the other because of where they are originally from. Prince Ben played again by Mitchell Hope was still not that bad of a character because despite having his focus being pulled away from Mal because of his duty as prince, he does go into the Isle of the Lost to talk to her, along with him just wanting to be with her more proving his love for her; he still has standard prince status but there are moments where he gives more emotion than just having a generic happy expression and not having much direction. Lastly, the rest of the characters including other students at the school were either over the top in their performances or they were a bit cringey, along with the dog Carlos is friends with being able to talk for no reason except to say something stupid with its decent CG mouth.
The main villain is the daughter of Ursula named Uma played well by China Anne McClain, who was an entertaining character who has a rivalry with Mal ever since she was at the Isle of the Lost and now wanting Fairy Godmother's wand because she is jealous of what Mal has now and that she wants to destroy the barrier between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost to unleash every single villain; she has a pretty good villain song and you can understand why she is doing what she is doing, which is why I liked her as a villain more than the first movie's villain. The focus of the movie, other than having to save Ben from Uma at one point, is Mal going back to the Isle of the Lost because of all the pressure in Auradon, which starts quickly in the first act and ends quickly halfway in the movie making me wish they focused more on it like they were supposed to; the relationship between Mal and Ben was believable with the little issues they have to talk about, and there was an occasional cute moment, along with the songs being better than the first movie with decent CGI visual effects when using magic, and an occasional use of green screen and cool uses of sets that goes well with the well-done dance choreography.
The sequel Descendants 2 (2017) was enjoyable enough to watch like the first with good enough performances, better songs than the first, a premise that kind of builds on the world and how it works, a mix of over-the-top and standard characters, cheesy or cringey lines of dialogue, ok CG digital effects, and an occasional annoying character; this film is not as by the numbers at the first, but the main plot that involves Mal going back to the Isle of the Lost because of pressure in Auradon starts and ends quickly and the rest of the movie just goes back to low stakes for a while until the third act climax. Lastly, I will just say that this movie is not excellent by any means, but you can put this on like the first, which is why I will say that I liked it as much as the first; it is hard to complain about this film because you know what you are going to get going into it, and it is pretty much harmless and enjoyable enough to watch.
- MB-reviewer185
- Mar 30, 2021
- Permalink
This is the first time I'm even writing an IMDb review, because this movie really, really doesn't deserve the rating it has right now. Acting is horrendous -- you can tell exactly what the actors thought they should be doing, and as hard as you might try, the movie won't let you forget for one second that these people are Disney Channel child models. ("Flouncy" is not a good adjective for a sword fight.) Music? Oh boy. There's no reason why pop music can't be beautifully incorporated into a musical. Lots of great movies have proved that. Unfortunately, what this movie proves is that there are also many, many ways for pop music to be unbearably corny. At points it seems like the Autotune folks were just going for overtime pay. The characters' "singing voices" are so different from their regular voices, they might as well be different people. Actually, the "singing voices" are more different from the natural voices than the co-stars are from each other. But just in case you didn't get the message, they throw in some uncannily unnatural lip-syncing.
I don't want to drag this on for longer than I have, so lightning round: plot -- attempts for consistent characterization never stop the story from going where it wants to; set -- say what you want about costuming in the 40s, at least they paid attention to basic night/day continuity; and, of course, the infamous CGI -- look, you shouldn't script for the budget you wish you had, but, as with so many other things in this movie, they went ahead and did it anyway.
I don't want to drag this on for longer than I have, so lightning round: plot -- attempts for consistent characterization never stop the story from going where it wants to; set -- say what you want about costuming in the 40s, at least they paid attention to basic night/day continuity; and, of course, the infamous CGI -- look, you shouldn't script for the budget you wish you had, but, as with so many other things in this movie, they went ahead and did it anyway.
7/10 - fantastic music couple with a relatively entertaining family-friendly story makes for one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies yet.
- JoBloTheMovieCritic
- Sep 2, 2021
- Permalink
- cmcoulter-19193
- Aug 5, 2017
- Permalink
Descendants 2, a sequel to the brilliant Descendants shown in 2015. I was glad to see more of the Isle in this film as it shows what surroundings the VKs grew up with. The music to this film was absolutely astonishing and there was no disappointment. It definitely lived up to the first one. Also the costumes were on fleek! I cannot wait to see if there is a descendants number 3 and I would recommend anyone who loves Disney and musicals, especially high school musical, to watch this magnificent film. However there were a few things I was slightly disappointed within the film but nothing that made me dislike the film completely.
- Katie Illsley x
LIKES:
Villain Kids: In most movies, the story is only as good as the antagonists to fight and in this case Uma (China Anne McClain) is an improvement over last movie's band of baddies. Descendants one tried to reinstate the classic baddies, with subpar casting and actors who semi looked the part. The direction of the movie though put the kids in the forefront and the villains in the back, resulting in rather boring/cheesy performances. With the kids being the focus, the new villain of Uma gets the focus and development needed, and her malicious planning are nice qualities. Her second in command Harry Hook (Thomas Doherty) is the enforcer who has some mad skills to bring to the table and actually does something to up the ante in a rather calm series. With kids at the focus, the doors open wide for more adventure at hand.
The Story: The first movie did a nice job introducing all the relationships of the world while embedding it in plots of doing villains' bidding, but also battling yourself when morals conflict. Yet the story was very simple and lacked the kick that it needed to be fully entertaining. Descendants 2 was a step up, building on those relationships and using them to tell a new story that involved exploring more of the isle. The added "suspense" was again a step in the right direction, and the increased urgency only brought more suspense to the mix.
The Songs: By far my favorite component was the soundtrack. After seeing Descendants a thousand times over the last two years, I made my list and found only a couple of songs I found timeless. In this installment, the five out of six tracks will most likely be coming to my Ipod. The dance numbers were much better for me and they fit very well into the theme of the movie instead of just being jammed in at random intervals ( see Evil Like Me and Ridiculous). The new soundtrack has edge and really kicks up the beat. Nice improvements guys.
Dislikes:
Dropped plot elements: If you haven't followed the animated shorts and accompanying books, then this won't affect you. However, the super fanbase will note other characters missing from Auradon's halls. Many characters are absent in this film, and even those from the first film have been reduced to back burner secondary appearances with little involvement in the main plot. Audrey, Jane, even Doug are not nearly as involved, most likely to give the newbies more screen time. Unfortunately
New elements lacking: Outside of Uma and maybe Harry, many of the new characters are also reduced to smaller roles than I anticipated. Newcomers Dizzy (Anna Cathcart) and Gil (Dylan Playfair) have been the highlights of the recent advertising campaign, but sadly don't do much in this film. In addition, many of the dramatic buildups, foreshadowing, and magic are actually played less than I originally thought. Guess dancing and sword fighting are more important than complete plots. One warning I have for future installments is to not grow so big to drop other characters, or face the threat of devouring yourself by inconsistencies.
Rushed Plot: Descendants holds a lot of potential to be an epic tale, and that first book by De La Cruz was an epic introduction filled with that potential. The movies unfortunately have lost that balance and go for the rather rushed conclusions that make many DCOMs lacking. Number 2 did not improve on this element, but worsened as they tried to shove too many plots into the short run-time. Much of the conflict is dropped quickly, the tasks and trials are rapidly completed, and new elements are haphazardly dropped without any buildup or heat. I know they are shooting for time constraints, but with something this big you can take your time and go a little longer. Younger audiences won't care about this, but older ones like me would appreciate a little more dramatic play ups. In addition, don't set up potential plots and drop them like a bad habit (see Chad Charming subplot). That incomplete presentation is a little disappointing with legendary directors in the mix.
Anti-climatic ending: I know, this is a movie geared for younger generations, we can't have too violent of a fight. The sword fight did a decent job of bringing the appropriate action especially the tangle between Harry and Jay (Booboo Stewart). However, another struggle at the end showed off some semi-decent computer work in a very bland manner. I can't reveal much more, but an epic tangle could have come in that wasn't so abruptly stopped. Kids watch lion King, Aladdin, and Incredibles, they can handle more than G rated punches. Add some "fire" to the mix, or throw in some close calls to mix things up and actually bring fear to the mix.
The Verdict:
Overall, Descendants 2 stepped its game up on many levels with their villains, story, and songs. Yet it still succumbs to the modern spin on DCOMs to go for musical gimmicks and diluted themes that while entertaining are not the only sustenance of the film. Descendants 2 story has room for improvement in regards to integrating its characters more, and could take a lesson from the books in regards to adding some suspense to the film. Still, it is one of the better DCOMs I have seen in a long time, and certainly the more impressive sequel to grace the small screen. With a little more work and some other feedback from you fans Descendants 3 (which I feel will come) can be even more exciting.
My scores:
Family/Musical/Adventure/Fantasy: 8.0 Movie Overall: 5.5
Villain Kids: In most movies, the story is only as good as the antagonists to fight and in this case Uma (China Anne McClain) is an improvement over last movie's band of baddies. Descendants one tried to reinstate the classic baddies, with subpar casting and actors who semi looked the part. The direction of the movie though put the kids in the forefront and the villains in the back, resulting in rather boring/cheesy performances. With the kids being the focus, the new villain of Uma gets the focus and development needed, and her malicious planning are nice qualities. Her second in command Harry Hook (Thomas Doherty) is the enforcer who has some mad skills to bring to the table and actually does something to up the ante in a rather calm series. With kids at the focus, the doors open wide for more adventure at hand.
The Story: The first movie did a nice job introducing all the relationships of the world while embedding it in plots of doing villains' bidding, but also battling yourself when morals conflict. Yet the story was very simple and lacked the kick that it needed to be fully entertaining. Descendants 2 was a step up, building on those relationships and using them to tell a new story that involved exploring more of the isle. The added "suspense" was again a step in the right direction, and the increased urgency only brought more suspense to the mix.
The Songs: By far my favorite component was the soundtrack. After seeing Descendants a thousand times over the last two years, I made my list and found only a couple of songs I found timeless. In this installment, the five out of six tracks will most likely be coming to my Ipod. The dance numbers were much better for me and they fit very well into the theme of the movie instead of just being jammed in at random intervals ( see Evil Like Me and Ridiculous). The new soundtrack has edge and really kicks up the beat. Nice improvements guys.
Dislikes:
Dropped plot elements: If you haven't followed the animated shorts and accompanying books, then this won't affect you. However, the super fanbase will note other characters missing from Auradon's halls. Many characters are absent in this film, and even those from the first film have been reduced to back burner secondary appearances with little involvement in the main plot. Audrey, Jane, even Doug are not nearly as involved, most likely to give the newbies more screen time. Unfortunately
New elements lacking: Outside of Uma and maybe Harry, many of the new characters are also reduced to smaller roles than I anticipated. Newcomers Dizzy (Anna Cathcart) and Gil (Dylan Playfair) have been the highlights of the recent advertising campaign, but sadly don't do much in this film. In addition, many of the dramatic buildups, foreshadowing, and magic are actually played less than I originally thought. Guess dancing and sword fighting are more important than complete plots. One warning I have for future installments is to not grow so big to drop other characters, or face the threat of devouring yourself by inconsistencies.
Rushed Plot: Descendants holds a lot of potential to be an epic tale, and that first book by De La Cruz was an epic introduction filled with that potential. The movies unfortunately have lost that balance and go for the rather rushed conclusions that make many DCOMs lacking. Number 2 did not improve on this element, but worsened as they tried to shove too many plots into the short run-time. Much of the conflict is dropped quickly, the tasks and trials are rapidly completed, and new elements are haphazardly dropped without any buildup or heat. I know they are shooting for time constraints, but with something this big you can take your time and go a little longer. Younger audiences won't care about this, but older ones like me would appreciate a little more dramatic play ups. In addition, don't set up potential plots and drop them like a bad habit (see Chad Charming subplot). That incomplete presentation is a little disappointing with legendary directors in the mix.
Anti-climatic ending: I know, this is a movie geared for younger generations, we can't have too violent of a fight. The sword fight did a decent job of bringing the appropriate action especially the tangle between Harry and Jay (Booboo Stewart). However, another struggle at the end showed off some semi-decent computer work in a very bland manner. I can't reveal much more, but an epic tangle could have come in that wasn't so abruptly stopped. Kids watch lion King, Aladdin, and Incredibles, they can handle more than G rated punches. Add some "fire" to the mix, or throw in some close calls to mix things up and actually bring fear to the mix.
The Verdict:
Overall, Descendants 2 stepped its game up on many levels with their villains, story, and songs. Yet it still succumbs to the modern spin on DCOMs to go for musical gimmicks and diluted themes that while entertaining are not the only sustenance of the film. Descendants 2 story has room for improvement in regards to integrating its characters more, and could take a lesson from the books in regards to adding some suspense to the film. Still, it is one of the better DCOMs I have seen in a long time, and certainly the more impressive sequel to grace the small screen. With a little more work and some other feedback from you fans Descendants 3 (which I feel will come) can be even more exciting.
My scores:
Family/Musical/Adventure/Fantasy: 8.0 Movie Overall: 5.5
Listen to me people, Don't see this movie. Is not the first time that i say: this movie sucks. It is just like the first one, it has no sense, has an awful story line, the actors are terrible, is like all of them knows that the movie sucks and don't take seriously the papers, the only one that tryed to do it god was China Ann Mcclain, and that's sad. This movie is a complete waste of time, and money from Disney. Disney doesn't work for make live action movies, Why they keep trying? I give 3 to this movie, just because there's some parts that i think are not so terrible, but every time, when you think that is going for a god way, ruins it. It doesn't worth the time. Disney must stop with this.
- josuemonroyc
- Aug 20, 2017
- Permalink
Boring plot,annoying songs and dances and the main character Mal really annoying but the character uma had good acting
- xoxogossiipgiirll
- Aug 25, 2018
- Permalink
- ahenderson-45780
- Jul 24, 2017
- Permalink
Most DCOMs are exceedingly mediocre--watchable but contentless. However, the "Descendants" franchise is a rare exception, as it bangs you over the head with the character's (nonexistent) villainy, over dramatic relationship scenes, and godawful musical scenes in a way you unfortunately won't soon forget.
Where most DCOMs only throw in one choreographed singing/dancing scene and leave it there, "Descendants" runs on them. Unfortunately the songs are poorly autotuned messes mixed with the worst 'rapping' I've ever heard in my life, then topped off with the actor's poor lip syncing. The lyrics of course are supposed to show how 'evil'/edgy the characters are but only succeed in making them sound like total cornballs, even to 8 year olds (spelling out wicked to sound tough would have gotten you beat up at my elementary school). While the choreography looks like it was directed by one of the kids on "Backstage". (Actually, why does a low budget Canadian import show have 10 times better choreography than the feature film for Disney's newest merchandise franchise?)
As for the plot itself, it's far worse than the typical DCOM. Whereas a normal DCOM (like their latest, "Adventures in Babysitting") can be fun to watch as a time waster or ironically, "Descendants 1 and 2" are so cringeworthy, garbled, and overlong that you will want to switch the channel just minutes in. The characters take their high school drama and relationships far too seriously for viewers to do anything but laugh (the amount of narmy declaration of love scenes is nauseating). While the story is boring with very little character development or progression besides running from point A to B and back. The talking dog was probably the nail in the casket as far as humor goes, abhorrent even to an 8 year old. Acting? Let's just say I'm pretty sure half the cast is related to the producers because in no way are any of them qualified for even direct to TV gigs. I'm not even going into the costume/set design except to say it was an abysmal idea to give the kid doing a bad Johnny Depp impression eyeliner when he's supposed to be an unhinged/scary pirate.
If Disney continues serving trash like this I would expect their ratings decline to continue for the near future (down 25% last quarter alone). Maybe instead of dumping so much promo into the sequel for the mess that was "Descendants 1" they should have done a spin off for films like "Lemonade Mouth" that people actually enjoyed. Disney has dumped 2 mini-TV series, 2 films, and the biggest promo run since the "High School Musical" franchise into what was originally the Descendants book series and I doubt the merch is selling enough to offset all those costs.
I have no problem with Disney making dramatic DCOMs, but please stop making drivel like "Descendants" that treats children like they are brain dead and write something with substance ("Geek Charming" and "Lemonade Mouth" being examples of drama/relationship DCOMs executed right).
Where most DCOMs only throw in one choreographed singing/dancing scene and leave it there, "Descendants" runs on them. Unfortunately the songs are poorly autotuned messes mixed with the worst 'rapping' I've ever heard in my life, then topped off with the actor's poor lip syncing. The lyrics of course are supposed to show how 'evil'/edgy the characters are but only succeed in making them sound like total cornballs, even to 8 year olds (spelling out wicked to sound tough would have gotten you beat up at my elementary school). While the choreography looks like it was directed by one of the kids on "Backstage". (Actually, why does a low budget Canadian import show have 10 times better choreography than the feature film for Disney's newest merchandise franchise?)
As for the plot itself, it's far worse than the typical DCOM. Whereas a normal DCOM (like their latest, "Adventures in Babysitting") can be fun to watch as a time waster or ironically, "Descendants 1 and 2" are so cringeworthy, garbled, and overlong that you will want to switch the channel just minutes in. The characters take their high school drama and relationships far too seriously for viewers to do anything but laugh (the amount of narmy declaration of love scenes is nauseating). While the story is boring with very little character development or progression besides running from point A to B and back. The talking dog was probably the nail in the casket as far as humor goes, abhorrent even to an 8 year old. Acting? Let's just say I'm pretty sure half the cast is related to the producers because in no way are any of them qualified for even direct to TV gigs. I'm not even going into the costume/set design except to say it was an abysmal idea to give the kid doing a bad Johnny Depp impression eyeliner when he's supposed to be an unhinged/scary pirate.
If Disney continues serving trash like this I would expect their ratings decline to continue for the near future (down 25% last quarter alone). Maybe instead of dumping so much promo into the sequel for the mess that was "Descendants 1" they should have done a spin off for films like "Lemonade Mouth" that people actually enjoyed. Disney has dumped 2 mini-TV series, 2 films, and the biggest promo run since the "High School Musical" franchise into what was originally the Descendants book series and I doubt the merch is selling enough to offset all those costs.
I have no problem with Disney making dramatic DCOMs, but please stop making drivel like "Descendants" that treats children like they are brain dead and write something with substance ("Geek Charming" and "Lemonade Mouth" being examples of drama/relationship DCOMs executed right).
You may think that sequels aren't good as the first ones but Descendants 2 is the exception. We get to see more chemistry between the characters and ain't a movie focus on Mal, we finally get to know more about the other characters' feelings. The choreography, the songs, the plot, for me, are way better than the first movie. Don't judge the movie just because it's a Disney Channel Original Movie if you give it a chance you may like it. My mom really enjoyed it, this movie has the whole package.
- issisotelo
- Jul 20, 2017
- Permalink
- nicolasnoriegaolazabal
- Aug 3, 2017
- Permalink
Pure bullsh-t as expected.It is very boring and stretches runtime. The music is crap and the cgiis horrendous. The actors are so bad at their lines and the plot and scriptwriting is awful. Do not watch this. Save yourself from it. The actors look like they just want to go home and the movie currently has an 8.2 on IMDb... This movie doesn't deserve that!
- shaansawrup
- Jul 20, 2017
- Permalink