“Off with her head!” is the most well-known phrase from the villain of Alice in Wonderland. But where did this line come from? Descendants: Rise of Red explores the depths to provide the origin of this infamous evil.
Many fans of the Descendants franchise didn’t want another after the third movie and the passing of one of the original VKs. Unfortunately, the conclusion of Descendants: The Royal Wedding implied that wouldn’t happen, and Uma refers to the original VKs (Mal, Evie, and Jay), Ben, as well as the original parents—aside from a very magical adult—even though they don’t appear in the film.
After uniting the heroes of Auradon and the villains of the Isle of the Lost, rulers Ben and Mal ask Uma, the daughter of Ursula, to temporarily watch over the kingdom while they travel to make alliances with distant lands. But, of course, a pirate queen is going to shake things up, and sometimes things don’t happen the way they plan. When Uma invites Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, to come to the kingdom of Auradon, the Queen of Wonderland has other plans, and it is up to Red and Cinderella’s daughter to save Auradon.
The fourth installment of the Descendants franchise starts similar to the very first installment, with the child of a villain talking about the past, the ruler (this time the ruler is temporary) suggesting the child should have a second chance, people being skeptical, and then seeing how they currently live. But this time it is Uma narrating, Fairy Godmother being skeptical, and seeing how Red spends her time in Wonderland.
Fairy Godmother explains to Uma why she is skeptical of the suggestion that Red be allowed to attend Auradon Prep. Uma discusses the history of animosity between her and Mal and how it ended when they realized each other’s goodness. In the end, though, Uma persuades Fairy Godmother with her statement, “It’s what Carlos would have wanted,” as she glances at a wall-mounted portrait of the VK (pictured with the late Cameron Boyce).
Fairy Godmother sends the letter down the rabbit hole and the Queen of Hearts accepts the invitation for Red. But, she only accepts the invitation for her own purposes.
Upon the Queen of Hearts’ takeover of Auradon Prep, Red used the Pocket Watch—which her Wonderland teacher made—to go back in time and quash the coup. But even after Ben and Mal brought heroes and villains together, one descendant is still critical; ironically, it’s Cinderella’s daughter Chloe, who thinks Red is working with her mother and attempts to take the watch away, sending them both to the past.
Upon discovering they have been sent back in time, they must cooperate to prevent the Queen from becoming a dictator. Meeting the adults as students gives both a whole new view on life.
Rise of Red is one of the best continuations of the franchise, giving a whole new group of characters the spotlight.