Chillin’ like a Villian: Descendants 2

By: Dustin Bradley

*SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*

Kenny Ortega did it again! Descendants 2 was on par with the two best DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) sequels in history – High School Musical 2 and The Cheetah Girls 2, both directed by Ortega. Premiering across five networks, I imagine the ratings (when released) are going to be big!

Ortega did with Descendants 2 what he did with Cheetah Girls 2; he made it an actual “we just start singing” musical. And boy was it worth it! The music in this one was an improvement from the first movie. We got more and more ensemble numbers than the first and we also featured more of a pop score this time around. The first film had an awkward mix of EDM, Pop and Broadway. As I mentioned, this time it was mainly pop which worked. My only regret is that two of the songs featured on the album weren’t played out, covers of  “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” were left out of the film, which makes sense because i’m sure there wasn’t a place for it.

The story this film was very strong. The script was less humorous than the first, but definitely more character driven which was very nice. Mal (Dove Cameron) struggled with being her true self, which is a mix of both good and evil. Ben (Mitchell Hope) learned to accept Mal for this and to be aware that his decision to only invite our main four Villain Kids (“VKs”) hurt many of the people on the Isle. Jay (Booboo Stewart) learned the true meaning of being a leader, which sometimes means giving up control (to Lonnie! #Feminism #Equality). Carlos (Cameron Boyce) learned to talk to be brave and finally tell Jane how he feels. Evie (Sofia Carlson) learned the power of friendship is the most powerful.

The ships in this one intensified. We got more Ben and Mal and more Doug (Zachary Gibson) and Evie, both of which saw major improvements and were so cute. Both Carlos and Jay got actual love interests, Jane (Breanna D’Amico) for Carlos and Lonnie (Dianne Doan) for Jay. Jane and Carlos were ADORABLE! I used to be in the camp of an LGBT+ Carlos, but this film made really enjoy this pairing. Jay and Lonnie are still new and not confirmed, but there were a ton of sparks. We also got a very strong friendship pairing of Mal and Evie! The first film sort of had them at a bit of odds but this time around was perfect! They were the best of friends and goals to the max or to the core! (Pun intended)

China Ann McClain was fantastic as Uma and her band of misfits were hilarious and fun! She was a delicious villain and so much fun to watch on screen. I didn’t really turn against her until she placed the love spell on Ben. Her songs were so catchy! I still have “What’s My Name?” stuck in my head! The ending was very open-ended with Uma retreating to the the sea. It seems if a Descendants 3 (fingers crossed) gets ordered that she will be back. I also loved the callback to the first film’s ending with Uma saying the exact final lines of the first film. I’m hoping we get a threequel!

The acting, the music, the sets, the costumes, the ships – everything about Descendants 2 was perfect! The DVD will be released August 15th, but until then pick up the first film on DVD available now. Also, check out the soundtracks available both on digital and physical copies, as well the Isle book series by Melissa de la Cruz and many other merchandise items available in many stores. Here to hoping we get a Descendants 3!