The fourth cinematic entry into Disney’s Descendants franchise, The Rise of Red, has been released, with a new set of Disney Princess lore legacy faces and time travel shenanigans to bring in an additional dose of excitement. The recurrent theme of the musical franchise regarding redemption and second chances rings true in this new spin-off entry as well, but the usage of the redundant and overused ‘one bad day’ trope feels out of place in the context of narrative. However, Descendants 4 excels in music, choreography, and chemistry among key characters, all the while laying out a number of plot points that can be developed in the future as the makers aim to expand the franchise with a new trilogy.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Wonderland Remain Separate From Auradon?
A decade has passed since the events of Descendants 3, and the prime rulers of the land of Auradon—King Ben and Queen Mal (also the lead in the first trilogy)—have ventured on an adventure to far lands along with their friends. In their absence, Uma, Ursula’s daughter and pirate leader, has been entrusted with the responsibilities of the kingdom by Mal. Fairy Godmother has been promoted to become the head of Auradon University, and as of now, Uma has taken on the role of principal of Auradon Prep School. The first step Uma decides to take is to open the doors of Auradon to one of its rival kingdoms, Wonderland, and send an invitation to Princess Red, daughter of Queen of Hearts, to join the prep school. The core of Mal’s journey in the first trilogy was about giving the neglected, discriminated ones with a chance to do good, and even though Uma was not among the lucky ones to be invited to the school back in the day, she is following the ideals of Ben and Mal by opening up opportunities for even the worst enemies of the kingdom. Fairy Godmother warns her of repercussions, as the fierce Queen of Hearts wanted to assert her control over Auradon, which is why they magically shut the rabbit hole to Wonderland to keep the two kingdoms separated. But Uma is adamant in her decision and mentions she is willing to do this to honor the late Carlos’ memories. It should be mentioned that actor Cameron Boyce, who played the role of Carlos, the son of Cruella De Vil, passed away in 2019, and the movie honors the late actor’s memory by mentioning that Carlos is among the departed.
Red, the mischievous, daredevil daughter of Queen of Hearts, can’t seem to catch a break from her overbearing mother, who seems to be all too keen to turn her daughter into a merciless, malevolent ruler like her—ignoring the need for her to establish own identity in the process. Red despises her mother’s evil attitude and wants to break free from her hold, but knows all too well that there is no escape for her from Wonderland. As a result, a rebellious Red often engages in nightly vandalism across Wonderland, and while doing so, she comes across her mentor and friend, Maddox Hatter, who shows her his latest invention, a stopwatch that acts as a time-travel device. Maddox mentions that one day Red might have the chance to have another shot at life, and the stopwatch will bring her to the point in time she desires most, but warns her not to mess with the delicate fabric of time, as it might result in serious consequences. Unbeknownst to Maddox, Red steals the stopwatch. Later, Queen of Hearts receives the invitation letter from Uma, and much to Red’s surprise, her mother agrees to let her join the Auradon Prep School.
Why Did Chloe And Red Go Back in Time?
On the other hand, Chloe, daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming, is another new legacy kid to get a chance to join Auradon Prep. Remarkable in every discipline of studies, combat, and extracurricular activities, Chloe is the ‘ideal’ princess in every aspect. However, as Chloe and Red meet for the first time in Auradon, the duo get off on the wrong foot. They get surprised to learn that Bridget, aka Queen of Hearts, and Cinderella used to be friends, but a disastrous event in their past broke their friendship and turned Bridget into the vile, sadistic Queen of Hearts, who used to be a noble, kind girl.
During the opening day ceremony, Fairy Godmother’s worst fears come true as the Queen of Hearts takes over Auradon by summoning her sentries using her magical cards, much to Red’s dismay. Cinderella tries to appeal to the senses of her old friend, but to no avail, and Cinderella refuses to swear allegiance to a tyrant like her. As Bridget continues to pressurize her daughter to side with her, in a conflicted state mind, Red charges Cinderella for treason, prompting Bridget to sentence her old friend to be executed. Unwilling to let this terrible incident come to pass, Red decides to go back in time to stop her mother, and a flustered Chloe accidentally joins her as well while trying to capture Red.
Why Did Red and Chloe Want to Obtain the Sorcerer’s Cookbook?
Red and Chloe find themselves in the past, at a time when Auradon Prep was known as Merlin Academy. Chloe learns about the time travel stopwatch, and initially, the teenagers get into an altercation regarding its necessary usage, but agree on an uneasy alliance after realizing that both of them are on the same page about saving their mothers. Merlin, the legendary wizard, is the principal of the academy, who enrolls the duo as transfer students, and they are shocked to find the teenage versions of their mothers to be their classmates.
Chloe is surprised to find out that, unlike the regal princess she knew her mother to be, teenager Cinderella is cynical regarding the privileged class; her sordid fate at the hands of her evil stepmother has made her wary of the affluent and powerful. On the other hand, Red is surprised to learn that Bridget was a kind, sweet, and benevolent girl who wanted to befriend everyone, and Cinderella was her best and only friend. From what they learned from Cinderella in the present timeline, the duo realizes that Bridget will be subjected to a cruel prank in the upcoming Castlecoming Dance, and they need to prevent it from happening so that Bridget’s life never takes a dark turn.
Red and Chloe come across the teenage villain group led by Ursula’s sister Uliana, and other members include Captain Hook, Morgie, the son of Morgana le Fay, Maleficent, and Hades. The group of irritable villain kids constantly picks on Bridget, despite her wish to befriend Uliana. After humiliating herself while trying to bully Bridget, Ursula swears revenge on her, prompting Red and Chloe to realize who the culprit behind the prank is. Later, Red learns from Cinderella how Bridget’s unwavering inherent goodness in the face of adversity truly makes her the strongest person, and after having a heart-to-heart conversation with the teenage version of her mother, Red is overwhelmed by a newfound admiration for her mother. On the other hand, Chloe and Cinderella have a falling out after the former’s princess demeanors, not being habituated to the regular life, earn Cinderella strong rebuke from her evil stepmother.
Red and Chloe sneak to the lair of the villain kids in Black Lagoon, and as Uliana summons the spirit of the lagoon to find a way to humiliate Bridget in the worst way possible, it is revealed that a recipe to turn Bridget into a hideous monster is written in the Sorcerer’s cookbook. To save Bridget, it is crucial for them to find the cookbook before Uliana and co. do, and later they learn from Bridget that the specific forbidden cookbook is stashed inside Merlin’s chamber.
Were Red and Chloe able to save their mothers?
However, regarding their approach to obtaining the cookbook, Chloe and Red get into an argument, as Red suggests stealing it from Merlin’s chamber, contrary to Chloe’s opinion they should simply ask Merlin to give them the cookbook. Red knows that explaining every detail to Merlin might end up jeopardizing their efforts and remains adamant in her way of doing things, which earns her a generalized remark about being a villain’s daughter from Chloe. Without paying heed to the low blow, Red proceeds to enact her plan anyway.
In a conflicted state of mind, Chloe goes to Cinderella to make amends and ask questions about the simplistic binary of right and wrong. Cinderella doesn’t subscribe to such basic judgmental moral principles, and she helps Chloe understand that, as complicated human beings, they need to listen to their hearts and acknowledge what’s worth fighting for. Thanks to Cinderella’s advice, Chloe realizes Red’s motivations were pure, and she makes amends with her by recognizing her good side.
In Descendants 4’s ending, the duo infiltrate Merlin’s chamber, and after a prolonged struggle with the protective enchanted machines, they manage to obtain the sorcerer’s cookbook. However, Uliana and her lackeys ambush them and snatch the cookbook, only to get stupefied by the hex put on the cookbook, which prevents those with evil in their hearts from opening the book. Red and Chloe escape with the cookbook just in time, and Merlin arrives to find Uliana and her crew and puts them in detention. Chloe believes in Red’s inherent goodness, and as Red is indeed able to open the cookbook, Chloe’s assessment turns out to be true. After changing the past and ensuring that Bridget remains safe during the Castlecoming dance, Red and Chloe hope for the best for the future and return to the present timeline in Auradon, where they find that Bridget has indeed turned out to be a noble queen and loving mother to Red. They have averted the crisis, and instead of the malevolent pack of magical cards, Bridget unleashes love charms as everyone joins in celebratory music and dance. Having successfully saved their mothers, Chloe and Red have formed a strong bond of friendship, and their adventures will be the focus of future installments. Speaking of the future, a narration by Uma suggests that Red and Chloe have affected the fabric of time in a significant way, which will have significant implications later in their lives.