The kids of famous Disney villains are at it again in Descendants 2 on the Disney Channels. Is Uma, daughter of Little Mermaid’s Ursula, a cool villain? Is Mal going home or staying on Auradon?
By: Lynn Barker
On Friday July 21st, Descendants 2 is on all over anything Disney; Disney Channel, Disney XD, Lifetime and ABC. Mal (Dove Cameron) is overstressed and unhappy as she tries to fit into Ben’s (Mitchell Hope) palace world of politics and Cotillions. When she decides to visit her old home the Isle of the Lost, she is shocked to find that Uma (China Anne McClain), Ursula's daughter, and her friends, Harry (Thomas Doherty), Captain Hook's son, and Gil (Dylan Playfair), Gaston's son, have taken her place as rulers of the island. Will she reclaim her home or feel caught between worlds?
The Descendants with BenCourtesy of Disney Channel
Feeling Wicked
Mal still loves Auradon King Ben but is stressed with her crazy social schedule around the palace. She longs for the free and wild days on the Isle of the Lost and has a dream about being “Wicked” again (song and dance here). She wants to use her spell book again but Evie (Sofia Carson) warns her against it. She’s an Auradon girl now. The guys Carlos (Cameron Boyce) and Jay (Booboo Stewart) want to ask someone to the big Cotillion dance but aren’t sure how.
Evie and Mal want to stay bestiesCourtesy of Disney Channel
Motoring to the Island
After drawing Ben’s anger when she uses her spells to make him a picnic, she takes the cute purple scooter he gifted her, dresses as she used to, hops on and uses her magic to “drive” over the water to the Isle. Meanwhile Jay’s fencing class won’t allow very good fencer Lonnie (Dianne Doan) to join because she’s a girl and Carlos is about to take a truth potion to help him ask Jane (Brenna D’Amico) to Cotillion but his dog eats it and starts talking, telling Carlos to “Man up”. And, on the island, pirates Harry Hook, Gil and more, hang out at Ursula’s Fish and Chips café with her daughter Uma and lament Mal’s success. Uma hates Mal for dissing her when they were kids. Singing “What’s My Name?”, they plan to battle the Auradon traitors and get the barrier around the Isle broken.
Mal uses magic to make Ben a mealCourtesy of Disney Channel
Jay and Lonnie fencingCourtesy of Disney Channel
Breakup on the Isle
Evie tells Ben that Mal went to the Isle. He feels guilty for yelling at her and wants to go after her. Meanwhile on the Isle, Mal is getting a make-over by young Dizzy (Anna Cathcart), Wicked Stepmother’s daughter who runs a beauty salon and dreams of living in Auradon. Evie, Jay and Carlos join a more casually-dressed Ben and tell him how to be “Chillin’ Like a Villain” and they get to the island but Gil figures out who they are and rats to Uma. Ben finds Mal but she tells him she just doesn’t fit into his world and she is damaging their relationship and they break up. Ben is kidnapped by Uma and gang and Mal confronts Uma telling her to leave Ben out of their argument. Uma will only set Ben free if Mal brings her the Fairy Godmother’s wand. Jay and Carlos go back to Auradon to make a fake one. Lonnie insists on going with them to rescue Ben.
Hook confronts MalCourtesy of Disney Channel
Mal and the gang plot a Ben rescueCourtesy of Disney Channel
It’s Goin’ Down
Mal and Evie sing a sweet duet about finding each other in “The Space Between” if Mal stays on the island. Ben offers to take Uma to Auradon and bring more Isle kids over too but her heart is too hardened to accept. When Mal and her friends arrive at Uma and Harry’s pirate ship to rescue Ben, a big rumble with swords occurs when Uma figures out the wand she’s been given in trade for Ben is fake. The good guys escape back to Auradon but Mal’s spell book is left behind.
Uma with her pirate gangCourtesy of Disney Channel
Cotillion
Carlos asks Jane to be his date to the dance, Jay takes Lonnie and Evie talks Mal into coming to the dance as her real self, purple hair and all. Suddenly Uma, looking regal, arrives….with Ben as his date. Mal is shattered. The “couple” say they have a love connection but when a beautiful stained glass window that Ben has made of he and Mal as a couple is unveiled, Mal realizes that Ben is under a spell! Uma must have used the spell book she left behind! Ben now talks of opening the barrier between Auradon and the Isle.
Carlos asks Jane to CotillionCourtesy of Disney Channel
Will the barrier be opened, Will Ben be released from Uma’s spell and reunite with Mal? Will Harry Hook and gang invade? Will little Dizzy ever get to live in Auradon?
Harry HookCourtesy of Disney Channel
Wrapping Up
Descendants 2 dance numbers are all a lot of fun, songs fit the story and are entertaining, especially a nice duet “The Space Between”, sung by Dove and Sofia. Production design and costumes are eye-catching and Kenny Ortega’s choreography is spot on and appropriate as usual. China Anne McClain, who grew up on the Disney Channel, is impressive as Uma as is gorgeous Thomas Doherty as Harry Hook.
Gil, Uma and Harry HookCourtesy of Disney Channel
Uma is a great villain and, it seems, will stick around. The story is really cool with some very personal soul searching involved and a crack in the wall between the elite on Auradon and the less fortunate citizens of the Isle makes future “mixing” an interesting possibility. Descendants 2 is much improved from the original and cast additions are welcomed. We go four stars.
Descendants 2 TV Movie Rating:
Descendants 2 TV Movie PosterCourtesy of Disney Channel
See Descendants 2 Friday, July 21st on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Lifetime and ABC. Check your local listings for times.
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