Descendants: The Rise of Red gives a wonderful tribute to a departed star
Descendants: The Rise of Red has some notable new music and expands on the series lore. But it also has a beautiful tribute to one of the original movie’s stars who has sadly left us.
Caution: This article contains mild SPOILERS for Descendants: The Rise of Red
Descendants was one of Disney Channel’s biggest hits when it debuted in 2015. The plot is that the various Disney villains are exiled to an island by the heroes. The son of Beauty and the Beast wants to welcome the children of several to Auradon Prep School. Despite some serious misgivings, the quartet slowly comes around to turning into good people as well.
Among them was Carlos, the son of Cruella DeVille, who ironically hated and feared dogs (despite Dalmatian-style hair and outfits). His arc was about breaking free of his controlling mother and ending up becoming a hero. He was played by Cameron Boyce, who is already well known to Disney Channel fans for his turn in the hit comedy Jessie.
The movie was a hit with the songs, the actors and spawned two sequels. However, the last one, Descendants 3, was marred by tragedy as, without warning, Boyce died in July 2019 of an epileptic seizure at only 20 years old. The movie was dedicated to his memory, and a nonprofit organization was created in Boyce’s name.
The new movie, Descendants: The Rise of Red, is set years later with Uma (China Anne McClain) running Auradon Prep and opening it to the citizens of Wonderland. That leads to a crazy conflict as the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) tries to conquer the fairy tale kingdom. Her rebellious daughter Red (Kylie Cantrall) and Chloe (Malia Baker), daughter of Cinderella, go back in time where they hope to sway the younger Queen off her villainous path.
The movie has some great new music and characters but also a very effective scene that pays tribute to both Carlos and Boyce.
How does Descendants pay tribute to Boyce?
Speaking to TV Line, executive producer Suzanne Todd shared how the filmmakers always knew they wanted to put in a tribute to Boyce and tricky how to find the right way to do it.
"We always knew that we wanted to pay some kind of tribute. We actually went through a number of different incarnations of what we thought was the best way to do it, because it’s very delicate and very important."
What we finally get is a scene of Uma in her office talking to the Fairy Godmother (Melanie Paxson), who worries about Red. Uma says she wants to give a troubled kid a second chance, just like someone did for the original villainous kids. She then looks at a portrait of Carlos on the wall, saying it’s what he would have wanted with tears in her eyes.
It’s a moment more emotional as McClain and Boyce had been friends since meeting on the set of 2010’s Grown Ups. Thus, she was channeling her own emotions in the scene and how it felt to know Carlos had passed on.
"We, the filmmakers, had some ideas about what we wanted to do, but we also had a lot of conversations with China Anne and her family about it. She landed that moment so beautifully. And I have to say that the story point we ended up going with, about inclusion and ending this segregation in Carlos’ name, is so on point for our universe and what we’re trying to promote. The idea that we were attributing that to Carlos’ character felt 100% real and authentic."
For those wondering, the movie does mention other characters as Mal (Dove Cameron), Ben (Mitchell Hope), Evie (Sofia Carson), and Jay (Booboo Stewart), are sailing around the world, hoping to recruit other villainous offspring (thus setting the stage for future movies).
However, addressing the departure of Boyce (with no word on how Carlos died) was a key moment for Descendants: The Rise of Red and ended up being a wonderful farewell to a beloved actor taken far too soon.
Descendants: The Rise of Red streaming on Disney+.