Descendants

The disney’s movie, Descendants, is a fantasy musical about teenage children of the famous disney villains who were given the chance at redemption. Auradon, where villains have been exiled to the Isle of the Lost and a kingdom ruled by Belle and the Beast’s son, Ben, where he decided to invite four villain kids to attended Auradon Prep. Mal, the daughter of Maleficient, along with Evie (the daughter of Evil Queen), Jay (the son of Jafar), and Carlos (the son of Cruella De Vil), travel from the Isle of the Lost with a secret mission to steal the wand of the Fairy Godmother. When they first arrived, they struggled to fit in and decided they will follow their parents’ evil plan to prove that they could also be as evil as their parents. However, as they experience friendship and acceptance from the people of Auradon, they start to question their evilness. Mal was torn between proving to her mother that she is also evil and her growing feelings for Ben. In the end of the movie, the four teenagers chooses good, proof that they are not defined by their parents’ past and can decide their own destinies.          

Many literary techniques are shown all throughout the movie. One of the techniques is intertextuality, since the movie directly reference the disney classic fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians and more. Referencing the classics, these allow viewers to use their prior knowledge about it to the new movie. Pastiche is also seen since the movie shows the different genres of fantasy, drama, and musical without the mocking the original stories. Another one is Irony, the evil children chose to be good in the end when the society showed kindness towards them. Additionally, Hyperreality is shown because as depicted Auradon is a almost perfect and overly ideal kingdom while the Isle of the Lost is presented to be extremely dark, where in villains are isolated.  

In a Structuralist lens, the movie is shaped by oppositions such as the good versus the evil, Auradon versus the Isle of the Lost. Through a Marxist lens, the movie highlights the issues of the inequality of power and rights. Where the rulers of Auradon banned the Villains of the Isle of the Lost to enter their kingdom to avoid creating trouble. Lastly, Feminist lens, the main character, Mal, is a young woman struggling to break free and gain independence from her mother’s control and expectations. The final decision to choose her happiness and new life demonstrates empowerment, making the movie much more meaningful aside from just being entertaining.  

In conclusion, the disney’s movie, Descendants shows a modern interpretation of traditional fairytales by highlighting personal choice and social acceptance. It tells the viewers to overlook stereotypes and recognize that the history or background of a person does not determine and define who they are and the future that they uphold. The movie, overall, delivers an inspiring message about changes and self-identity. Descendants emphasize that goodness is a choice, and everyone has the power and will to rewrite their own destiny.