👑 Descendants (2015) – Review
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🎥 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

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🖤 In Memory of Cameron Boyce

This trilogy became something deeper after July 6, 2019.
That was the day we lost Cameron Boyce — who played Carlos de Vil — at just 20 years old. He passed away in his sleep due to complications from epilepsy, and the shock of it rippled through fans everywhere.

Carlos was the heart of this film. An anxious, goofy, sweet kid who brought out the best in his villainous friends. Cameron made him lovable from the moment he screamed at a dog or tried to bluff his way through social situations.
He had a light to him — in every role he played, from Jessie to Descendants. He felt like a friend, like someone you rooted for. Losing him was more than losing an actor — it was losing a bright, young force in the world.

This review — and this entire trilogy — is dedicated to him. 🖤

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🧭 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Years after Belle and Beast banish all the villains to a grimy slum island called the Isle of the Lost, their son Ben is about to be crowned king. But instead of keeping the gates closed, Ben opens them — and invites four children of villains to come to Auradon Prep and try life on the “good side.”

We follow Mal (Maleficent’s daughter), Evie (Evil Queen’s daughter), Jay (Jafar’s son), and Carlos (Cruella de Vil’s son) as they attempt to blend in at a prep school full of princesses, sons of heroes, magical teachers, and judgmental eyes. Their villain parents want them to sabotage the kingdom… but life on the other side might not be so bad.


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👥 Character Rundown (with actor names and villain parents)

Mal, played by Dove Cameron, is the daughter of Maleficent. She’s sarcastic, guarded, and clearly burdened by pressure to be “the bad kid,” even though her own heart isn’t fully on board.
Evie, played by Sofia Carson, is the daughter of the Evil Queen. At first, she’s obsessed with beauty and marrying rich — but she’s also smart, kind, and becomes more than a sidekick.
Jay, played by Booboo Stewart, is the son of Jafar. He starts out as a thief and brute, but grows to become one of the more genuine and athletic students at Auradon.
Carlos, played by Cameron Boyce, is Cruella de Vil’s son — and afraid of dogs. He’s a tech nerd with serious anxiety, but also the most emotionally open of the group.

Supporting characters include:
Ben, the son of Belle and Beast (played by Mitchell Hope) — your kind, hopeful golden retriever prince.
Audrey, daughter of Aurora, is basically the Regina George of princesses.
Chad Charming (son of Cinderella and Prince Charming) is a self-centered jock.
Jane (Fairy Godmother’s daughter) and Lonnie (Mulan’s daughter) both round out the Auradon side, though Lonnie’s wildly underused.
And then of course we have the villain parents:

Maleficent, played by Kristin Chenoweth, completely eats the screen.

Evil Queen, played by Kathy Najimy, is full delusional diva.

Jafar, played by Maz Jobrani, somehow runs a pawn shop and looks like he lost custody of his dignity.

Cruella, played by Wendy Raquel Robinson, is pure chaos and still obsessed with fur.



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⏳ Pacing / Episode Flow

The pacing is solid for a Disney Channel Original Movie. It opens fast, introduces the kids, and jumps right into the fish-out-of-water setup. The second act dips slightly as the school hijinks pile up, but the emotional moments and musical numbers help carry it. The third act picks back up with real stakes and a showdown worth the build-up.


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✅ Pros

The core four kids have fantastic chemistry.

Cameron Boyce steals nearly every scene he’s in.

Dove Cameron carries the emotional weight of the story.

Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent is ICONIC — she’s hilarious and genuinely intimidating.

The Isle vs. Auradon contrast is visually striking and metaphor-rich.

The music is catchy in that “I didn’t expect to like this but damn it I do” kind of way.

The film explores identity, legacy, and choice without feeling preachy.



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❌ Cons

Some side characters are underwritten (Lonnie, Jane).

The CG magic effects? Pure early-2000s cheese.

The resolution is a little too neat — forgiveness comes fast.

The villain parents disappear too early and don’t get enough time.

Jafar and Cruella are mostly comic relief — fun, but kinda wasted.

Guy Gardner syndrome-lite: meaning, Carlos is too lovable too fast. There’s very little edge to him for a child of Cruella. Same goes for Jay. These are the kids of literal monsters and yet they go full Auradon pretty quickly.



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💭 Final Thoughts

Descendants shouldn’t work — but it does. It’s silly, campy, and full of leather and eyeliner, but beneath all that is a story about who you are vs. who you’re expected to be. The actors sell it. The script is snarky enough to entertain adults. And for many, this film became a defining childhood comfort watch.

Cameron Boyce’s performance is genuinely touching, and knowing this was the beginning of a trilogy that would carry his memory forward makes it feel even more special. There’s heart here — and it’s sincere.


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⭐ Final Rating

9/10


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning

Major spoilers beyond this point. If you haven’t seen Descendants and want to enjoy the magical mayhem firsthand, now’s the time to grab your wand and vanish.


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🧨 Spoilers

So Mal’s got a plan: use a love spell to make Ben fall for her so she can steal Fairy Godmother’s wand and break the barrier between Auradon and the Isle. But guess what? Feelings happen. Real ones. And suddenly being bad isn’t as easy when your new boyfriend is sweet and your friends are learning to be their own people.

The twist comes at Ben’s coronation, when the spell breaks — and he reveals he knew he was under a spell but liked Mal anyway. Mal’s mom, Maleficent, crashes the party and turns into a literal dragon, demanding the wand and threatening everyone.

Mal defeats her — not with power, but by choosing love over hate. Her mom is reduced to a lizard, symbolizing her own smallness.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos also reject their pasts, embracing their new lives. Evie uses brains over beauty. Carlos befriends a dog (and it’s adorable). Jay goes full team player.
It’s the “I choose me” moment for all of them.

The film ends with a dance party — because it’s Disney — and Mal teases us with: “You didn’t think this was the end of the story… did you?”

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. And thank god for that.