Descendants

My daughter has constantly got the Disney channel on at home, so I'm treated with re-runs of the same old thing, even the movies are constantly on and I can get very fed up with it. So this movie was advertised to the hilt since the premier of Teen Beach 2, which was not as good as the first I might add. So after months of the advertising of the Descendants, I was fearing the worst. As much as I can't stand Cameron Boyce, I do like Dove Cameron from Liv and Maddie, which is the only show I can bear on Disney Channel.

After watching this movie, I was quite surprised, also I quite enjoyed it, Dove was brilliant as the daughter of Malificent, and Evie, was quite funny too. OK, the 2 boy villains were OK too. But the idea and story were actually pretty good, and some of the characters were quite fun to watch.

Also the parents of the villains were fun to watch, some of the things they say are quite amusing.

As far as Disney straight to TV movies go, I'd give it a go, of course, after months of repeating the film, you'll get fed up with it.

Overall watchable once or maybe 2 days later, twice, then you'll have had enough.

I won't be the first in saying this movie was a bit slanted toward the cheesy, campy side of Disney. But then again, what Disney Channel movie isn't? I would like to point out, however, that the leads (Mal and Ben) were relatively believable (and likable) characters. I'm not spoiling the movie when I say that Dove Cameron did well at portraying an independent young woman with conflictions about living up to her mother's expectations. On the good side, Mitchell Hope made me believe he was the son of a Disney prince and princess (now king and queen).

Granted, there were several times I wanted to stop watching this film due to the gross amount of cheese and horrible scripts, but I stayed each time for those moments of sincerity and sometimes cleverness. I will probably watch this movie again, and maybe again after that. (Guilty pleasures...) Oh, and P.S. Kristin Chenoweth is an amazing actress who was clearly having fun with her role. She might have come off as mostly cartoonish, but there were some moments where she brought the dread-factor in some subtle ways.

Don't be fooled by the premise; Descendants is not a nostalgic romp through classic Disney, nor is it a gritty reinterpretation of the source material a la last year's Maleficent. It has much more in common with High School Musical, Camp Rock, and Teen Beach Movie. These film franchises are so stylistically similar that they may as well be considered a single series with Descendants as the next in line (pun intended.) It is a series Disney is likely going to milk until it stops being profitable, so you might as well enjoy it until then. These films are shallow, cheesy, and unintelligent, but they're also so harmless and fun that there's no point in hating them. The target audience is clearly preteens, but there is plenty of enjoyment for adults and older teenagers due to three main factors:

1. The films don't take themselves too seriously.

2. The musical numbers are catchy and memorable.

3. The actors seem to be having fun which makes it easy for the viewer to have fun.

Here's how Descendants stacks up against its predecessors:

1. The moral of the film is "do what makes you happy and be with the people who make you happy even if it's not what others expect from you." It is no coincidence that High School Musical, Camp Rock, and Teen Beach Movie have that message in common. Descendants somehow manages to be even more rushed and less subtle in conveying it. While the film is lighthearted as a whole, it takes breaks to be serious and enforce its moral which detracts from the experience.

2. The very first song, "Rotten to the Core" is a blend of dubstep and poor attempts to be edgy. It is every bit as cringe-worthy as it sounds. The later songs are significantly better with "Did I Mention" as a highlight, but I'd still choose the Teen Beach Movie soundtrack over this one in a heartbeat.

3. To be blunt, there is no chemistry between the actors whatsoever. Dove Cameron's individual performance as Maleficent's daughter, Mal is somewhat captivating, but everyone else seems to be struggling to click with their characters.

I could go on about the predictability of the plot, the awkwardness of the dialogue, or the costumes which look like bad cosplay, but honestly, anyone who doesn't expect all that from a film like this is simply unobservant.

If High School Musical is your guilty pleasure, Descendants probably will be too even though it slips a little from the better aspects of its predecessors.

Wow, what a great movie!! So, High School Musical is my favorite Disney original musicals. But this is in 3rd place. The concept and story is so cool and I love the chemistry between all the actors. Dove Cameron is so great in this and you really believe in her character as Maleficent's daughter. The songs are great and they are so fun and they are so catchy! I love this movie and I am excited for the second one.

Definitely a cute little movie, and certainly worth a watch. The plot may be clichéd to a point, but the characters are pretty likable and the overall atmosphere is fun. Kristen Chenoweth is delightful as Maleficent, and even adds a couple of nods to Glinda, something which other Wicked fans are sure to pick up on. Unlike some family comedies, this one doesn't rely on crude humor to be funny and instead remains appropriate for all ages. Disney fans will enjoy the little tributes to some of the classics. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone looking for some light, musical entertainment. I'm looking forward to the sequel!