A Look at the Disney Channel Movie Series The Descendants and the Return of the Musical

When I was young and watching Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1965), Grease (1978), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), or Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), I often asked my mom, “Why don’t they make movies like this anymore?” My mom never had a real answer to give me just, “I guess people lost interest in these stories.” In 1997 we got the start of what I call, the revival of the musical.

1997 brought us Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy. The pop sensation taking part in this classic musical definitely increased interest in the style of movie I had longed for. The many huge names taking part in the show, and the diversity of the cast drew a lot of interest and attention. In addition to Brandy playing the titular character, Whoopie Goldberg played Queen Constantina, Whitney Houston played Fairy Godmother, Bernadette Peters played the role of Evil Stepmother (can we talk about her singing of “Falling in Love with Love”?!), Jason Alexander as Lionel (the royal families put upon Royal Steward), and even Victor Garber as King Maximillian. So many names came together to bring this show out of Broadway and back to the big screen! I do want to say that Newsies did come out in 1992 and is a musical. I don’t recall it getting talked about the same way that Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy did.

Well, that as they say, was it! The doors opened and Disney and others realized that the draw for a musical still existed! We didn’t just want children’s animated moments we wanted live action musicals. Do not ask me why it took until 2006 for the next Disney Channel musical movie sensation to hit, I don’t know. It’s possible after the kickback on Cinderella of Disney simply remaking an already beloved film, that they wanted something original (see Newsies which happened earlier but didn’t do as well. We could also argue Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) aided in this renewed rise but both these movies were geared towards adults. That being said no one can argue that it had an impact on casting Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constantina.

Enter Highschool Musical. After the success of the first one Disney made 2 additional movies and many people point to this, as the new increase in Disney live action musicals. Disney successfully made 3 movies in 3 years with the first Highschool Musical coming out in 2006 and the last in 2008. As you can see this can be a highly debated topic. This cast was younger and the stars more relevant to the audience I believe Disney wanted to target, the Highschoolers. Where I can easily see Disney having a drop off between childhood wonder, and the nostalgia that the older audiences ask for (hence why I think the cast choices for Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy was brilliant!). Zac Effron showed us he wasn’t just a pretty face, and Vanessa Hudgeons made her breakthrough with this musical series. While I greatly enjoyed the supporting cast in this film no one can deny that the two main characters have definitely gone places based on the success of these musicals. With Zac Effron starring in the newest movie version of Hairspray as love interest Link released July 2007, a mere month before the release of Disney Channel Original Movie Highschool Musical 2 in August 2007. Vanessa Hudgeons went on to do Beastly (2011), Suckerpunch (2011), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) and many other before hitting what I think is her stride in the Hallmark Movie Princess Switch (2018).

This brought on outsiders’ interest to this neglected genre, from Mamma Mia! (2008), tv shows like Fox’s Glee (2009-2015), Scot Pilgram Vs. The World the movie (2010), to the first set of Disney’s The Descendants Disney Channel Movie series (2015-2021), the tv series and movie Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021), and now Disney is relaunching its Descendants saga with The Descendants: The Rise of Red (July 12 2024). Rise of Red was released on Disney+ before the Disney Channel. The Disney Channel debut is slated for August 9 2024 making this the first movie to launch on a streaming platform first.

I greatly enjoyed the first 4 movies and the 11 minute teaser done in the original Descendants story arc. Where the children and grandchildren of villains are being given a second chance at rejoining society by allowing at first 4 kids from the Isle of the Lost (the island where all the baddies were locked down after King Beast (Dan Payne ) and Queen Belle (Keegan Connor Tracy) united the fairytale kingdoms into Auradon) to join Auradon Prep (a high school). The children chosen by Crown Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope), due to be coronated soon, were: Carlos (Cameron Boyce), the son of Cruella Deville (Wendy Raquel Robinson); Jay (Booboo Stewart), the son of Jafar (Maz Jobrani); Evie (Sofia Carson), the daughter of The Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy); and Mal (Dove Cameron), the daughter of Maleficent (Kristin Chenoweth). From “Rotten to the Core” to “Evil Like Me” and “Did I Mention”, and for those of us hoping for a little nostalgia they did a beautiful rendition of “Be Our Guest” for you to fall in love with! This musical has everything; eye candy featuring a diverse cast, catchy ear worm lyrics, and a story you care about. Kirsten Chenoweth and Dove Cameron singing “Evil Like Me” is everything you could want from a Disney villain. A true sadness is that Kathy Najimy did not get to sing with Sofia Carson. I want to make this review as spoiler free as possible but I do want to mention some things that while watching I found cringy. Before I get into there are two more important characters to this story arc; Doug (Zachary Gibson), son of Dopey; and Jane (Brenna D’Amico), Fairy Godmother’s daughter. So please know I love and highly recommend everyone watch it; they have a fantastic cast in the younger kids and even more fantastic in the older crowd! Lines have you snickering and I hate having to go to the bathroom during this movie. Yes, the pause button exists, but I don’t want to!

Spoilers Ahead!

When we first meet Soon-to-be King Ben and Princess Audrey (Sarah Jeffery) –Sleeping Beauty’s daughter who is a princess in her own right–the couple are all but engaged. Immediately Audrey gives anyone pause on if she should ever be elevated to Queen of anything. She tactlessly brings up her and Mal’s parents pasts, and makes it clear that she doesn’t trust any of the VK’s (villain kids) as far as she can throw them. Which isn’t far since magic is no longer widely used in Auradon. Audrey goes on to say that the little magic Mal uses (a hairstyle spell from her mother’s spell book) seen by the rest of the student body, is gateway magic (like cigarettes to drugs in the 90’s). While I see Audrey as being extreme is this correlation, I do think its possible that she’s responding to how much Ben clearly wants this to work. It is his first proclamation that they would re-integrate the villain kids back into society. While he started with 4 it was clear in movie 1 that he intended to expand the program if it worked (as he reinforced in movie 2). Ben spends a lot of time with the VK’s helping them integrate into Auradon culture, but it becomes clear that he has more than one reason to spend time, he seems clearly interested in Mal. Just a few seconds after Audrey leaves after her warning to Ben (same scene no cuts), Mal offers Ben a love spelled cookie. Mal does this because she is trying to get close to Fairy Godmother’s wand at the coronation. This leads to Ben breaking up with Audrey in a hugely unfair public fashion by singing his love to Mal in “Did I Mention”, which I think was misnamed and instead should be called R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S, after Auradon wins the Tourney Championship. This would be reason enough for Audrey to run off, but its clear that she isn’t heartbroken by Ben’s actions, she’s simply jealous. She immediately runs off and grabs Chad (Jedidiah Goodacre), Charming and Cinderella’s son, and announces they’re dating now and she doesn’t need Ben’s pity date to the coronation anymore. Ben responds by asking Mal to go with him which she gladly says yes to. Afterall, it was what she spelled him for. That being said this does lead to a situation that isn’t resolved until movie 3, where Ben and Mal acknowledge their poor behavior in the first movie.

As Ben dates Mal for the next few weeks before the coronation Mal starts to develop real feelings for him. During a date to the Enchanted Lake Ben pretends to drown, and Mal (who doesn’t know how to swim), splashes into the lake desperately trying to help him. As it gets too deep for her to walk and it becomes clear she doesn’t know how to swim Ben swims under her and brings her to safety. I feel this is cringey since she had said she didn’t want to swim and if he had answered her to relieve her fears of his drowning, she wouldn’t have put herself in danger. Another cringe moment would be when King Beast and Queen Belle fail to defend Ben and the VK’s after a scene that Audrey and Chad cause. Even as Mal moves forward with the evil plot, she takes steps to make sure that Ben will be the least hurt possible should the baddies win. On the way to the coronation, she gives him an anti-love spell cupcake which leads to one of the best lines of the movie! The song “Set if Off” gives us hope of who these kids can be and is a great way to end the movie!

Moving into Descendants 2 (2017). Mal and Ben are still together. Royal Cotillion is about to happen and Ben is expected to announce the woman who will rule by his side. Of course, everyone believes that Mal will be that person. Couple of things I feel are worth noting; the press is all over the royal couple and Fairy Godmother (Melanie Paxson) steps in as soon as she sees Mal in distress, “Shush. This is still a school, so if you’re here, your either skipping or trespassing. Shush, ah – Shush, Shuuuuuuush [as she gestures for them to leave].” The level of care that Fairy Godmother extends to the VK’s since they have been cut off from their own families is notable in the best possible way. Audrey is still dating Chad in this movie and still bitter at being downgraded from future queen to being with Charming. More than once, it is mentioned that Audrey uses him in ways that even a servant would balk at. Mal has changed her whole appearance, going positively platinum with goodness. She has changed her wardrobe to focus on Ben and Auradon instead of her signature purple, and it is clear that this movie is about straddling two worlds. Acknowledging your past doesn’t define you, and finding a way to move forward. To even believe you have a right to move forward and grow beyond your beginnings. This movie does introduce the characters Dizzy (Anna Cathcart), the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine and daughter of Drizella, Uma (China Anne McClain), Ursula’s daughter. She is the leader of a pirate crew which includes Harry (Thomas Doherty), Captain Hook’s son, and Gil (Dylan Playfair), Gaston’s son. The books, which were written after the first movie, say that Gaston has several sons I have yet to see evidence of that in the movies. The best thing about Uma is how much China Anne McClain is clearly having with the character. There are moments where either Uma is smiling at inappropriate moments (i.e. the actress is simply having fun playing the part), or she is insane. Later interactions with the character lead me to believe it is the former vs the latter. While “Ways to be Wicked” didn’t hit the same way as “Rotten to the Core” did from the first movie it did have a good beat. “What’s my Name” becomes Uma’s anthem not just in this movie but also in Descendants 3, and Descendants: The Rise of Red. “Chillin’ Like a Villain” is easiest my favorite in this movie as the VK’s try to teach Ben to be bad. We also have “You and Me” which is absolutely comparable to “Set it Off” from the first movie. Our moment of nostalgia is brought to you by an instrumental version of “Kiss the Girl” while Uma and Ben dance, and a singing version of the same song plays over the credits.

The 11 minute short, “Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story” (2018) happens after the second movie and before the third. This was directly adapted from chapter 25 in book 4 of the Descendants books, “Escape from Isle of the Lost” by Melissa de la Cruz. While this movie has some interesting interactions and a fantabulous rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” sung by Mal and Uma, this is not necessary to the series. They either dropped the intended story line featuring Mal’s dad in a bigger way, or they just intended to tease that Mal’s dad and Uma would be characters in the new movie.

Descendants 3 (2019) adds the new characters of Hades (Cheyenne Jackson), Mal’s father; Squeaky (Christian Convery), and Squirmy (Luke Roessler), Smee’s (Faustino Di Bauda) twin boys; Lady Tremaine (Linda Ko); and Celia (Jadah Marie), Dr. Facilier’s daughter (Jamal Sims). This possibly has the best soundtrack out of all the movies! The VK re-integration program is finally progressing with some unsuspected results. Audrey finally goes full villain after her mistreatment from the first movie when Ben makes it official, he will be marrying Mal soon. His proposal is adorable with a brief rendition of the song he sang to Mal after the Touney match, “Did I Mention”. I do not think Queen Leah (Judith Maxie), Audrey’s grandmother, helps the situation. “A lifetime of plans, gone. Our family status, gone. Audrey, you were supposed to be his Queen, and you let him slip through your fingers. Your mother could hold onto a prince in her sleep.” In true Audrey fashion she yells at some celebrating students, “You’d really rather have a VK on the throne than me? What is wrong with you people?” Audrey’s prejudice has been an issue since the first movie but the way it unfolds and resolves is a joy to watch. “Good to be Bad” finally gives us something at the same level of “Rotten to the Core” to have a good energy in the beginning of the movie. “Queen of Mean” gives us a look into Audrey’s mind that helps us see her descent into villainy that makes you doubt what side you’re on. “Do What You Gotta Do” is the father daughter anthem that screams you are your father’s daughter. “Night Falls” is a better battle song then any of the other movies have come up with. “One Kiss” is too catchy not to love even as you cringe at Evie’s doubts. “My Once Upon a Time” is beautiful. While this song plays a couple things happen in the movie that feel disconnected—maybe it’s in some deleted scenes? Celia is somehow captured by Audrey, and after the final battle starts, Uma and Harry seem to double back to help Mal after all. While I would love a little connectivity for these, and it does cause a “wait, what?” moment, this doesn’t ruin the movie for me. At the end of the movie Hades has a line that needs to be heard;

This exchange is exactly why Ben started the re-integration program, and helps bring us full circle as to why the end of this movie had to be the way it is. “Break This Down” is the perfect song to illustrate this and end the movie with.

Descendants: The Royal Wedding (2021) makes sure that we feel complete resolution with the first story arc. This movie does not have music driving its narrative, and in fact only has one song, “Feeling the Love” played at the end of the movie. This is the first movie after the actor who played Carlos, Cameron Boyce, died due to Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). His parents started The Cameron Boyce Foundation; to help shine a light on Epilepsy and the many ways it can impact the people who have it and their families. While the show doesn’t go into details of why Carlos can’t be there, it is clear that Disney has decided no one else could fill this role and in the new Descendants: The Rise of Red, his picture is hanging in Fairy Godmothers office and they confirm that in both worlds he is no longer with us to shine his light. This animated movie short (being only 23 minutes), helps further bridge Auradon and the people on the Isle of the Lost, and gives us hope that with time all can be one again.

 While I touched on Descendants: The Rise of Red, I plan on reviewing this story arc when it is complete. Also not covered in this is Descendants: Wicked World the animated series, which does have the amazing song “Would you Rather” in the Slumber Party episode; and “Wicked Woods: A Descendants Halloween Story” (2019) which takes place after Descendants 3 and before Descendants: The Royal Wedding and has the song, “Keep Your Head on Halloween”. “Wicked Woods: A Descendants Halloween Story” is officially the last movie in which Cameron Boyce voiced Carlos.

The popularity of this series makes me believe that it is just as integral to the return of the musical as Brandy performing Cinderella in 1997. And has even led me to ask if the direct to movie or Disney Channel Original Movies aren’t outperforming Disney’s theatrical releases. I hope that you had fun looking back on some amazing musicals that have happened in the last 20-some-odd years with me and the deep dive into Descendants’ using music to move the plot in a way that only a musical can.