‘Descendants’ Recap: What You Need to Remember Heading Into ‘The Rise of Red’
The fourth installment of Disney’s “Descendants” franchise is nearly here, and it’s been a long journey since the first film — almost 10 years, in fact.
The first movie released back in 2015 and became a mega-hit, telling the stories of the children of Disney’s most infamous villains. “Descendants: The Rise of Red” introduces a new crop of VKs (villain kids), but still very much keeps the originals in hearts and minds.
The thing is, after 10 years and three films, you might be struggling to remember everything that’s happened up to this point. So, here’s what you need to know heading into the next movie.
“Descendants”
The first “Descendants” film introduces Mal (Dove Cameron), Evie (Sofia Carson), Jay (Booboo Stewart) and Carlos (Cameron Boyce). They’re the children of Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella de Vil, respectively, and they live on the Isle of the Lost. This is where all the villains of Disney stories were banished, separated from the outside world by a magical barrier that renders any mystical objects or beings inside powerless.
But when Prince Ben (Mitchell Hope) invites them to attend Auradon Prep as part of a pilot program, they set out to take over the kingdom on behalf of their parents until they can properly free the adults.
Along the way, the quartet realizes that they don’t necessarily want to follow in the footsteps of their villainous parents. They choose to stay in Auradon, making an effort to be truly good and change the future.
“Descendants 2”
The thing about being truly good is that it’s hard, especially for Mal. She struggles to fit in, trying to shape herself to fit an idea, rather than being her own version of good. So in a panic, she flees back to the Isle, where she quickly runs into an old friend: Uma (China Anne McClain).
Although, “friend” might be too generous a term. Mal always called Uma “shrimpy” and never let her into the gang. As a result, Uma hardens against Mal — especially after Mal gets on the road to becoming a literal princess — and leads a hoard of pirates on the Isle.
Mal’s friends try to bring her home from the Isle, but can’t sway her. While there, Prince Ben manages to get kidnapped by Uma and her gang and is held for a ransom sum of one magic wand from the Fairy Godmother. See, Uma hopes to bring the barrier down for good.
Uma even puts a spell on Ben to make him fall in love with her (using her mother’s necklace, of course). But in the end, true love wins out and Uma vanishes.
“Descendants 3”
There are a few key things you need to remember from “Descendants 3” for “The Rise of Red,” and chief among them is this: the third film ends with Mal and her friends finally bringing down the barrier between Auradon and the Isle of the Lost for good.
How do they get there? Well, when Prince Ben’s ex-girlfriend Audrey (Sarah Jeffery) briefly turns into a villain herself due to her heartbreak over losing him, Mal seeks out Hades’ ember from the Isle. While she and her friends are there, Audrey puts a sleeping curse on all of Auradon.
It’s worth noting that, while Mal works on getting the ember, Hades is revealed to be her father. He’s played by Cheyenne Jackson as an adult, but you’ll meet younger versions of both him and Maleficent in “The Rise of Red.”
When Mal finally does secure the stone, Uma resurfaces with her right-hand men, and they return to Auradon with Mal. See, in “Descendants 3,” we learn that a process has been developed for hand-selecting new VKs to come to Auradon each year.
But Uma believes anyone who wants to come should be allowed, and anyone who wants to continue on the Isle should also be given that choice. In the end, the two manage to set aside their differences, and even become tentative friends.
And that just about brings you up to speed for “Descendants: The Rise of Red.”
You can stream the film on Disney+ on Friday, July 12.
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