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Jul. 25th, 2017 01:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impySooooo... Descendants 2. I don't know how coherent my thoughts will be, so I'm just going to rattle off things I remember and we'll roll with it.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I couldn't tell you if I liked it more or about the same as the first, but I will say I had expectations for this movie and did not for the first so that does tend to influence things just a tad.
Also influencing things was the feeling that we'd somehow missed something very important and that we were going to spend the whole movie chasing that thing or just never find it. I'm still not 100% sold on this being intentional. Definitely was for the opening song but after, say, an hour, the movie still felt strangely paced. Which probably had a lot to do with how it ended, honestly.
After the VKs and Lonnie save Ben, they get the hell off the Isle and Mal's spellbook gets left behind. Considering we've got another half an hour left to go, you know Uma's going to return and it's just a waiting game to see when and how. But we're also in a weird limbo state with Ben and Mal, where Mal has... come back to Auradon after swearing she was just going to stay on the Isle? I... eh? Ignoring one of my favorite moments (I'll circle back to Girl Talk as told by Carlos and Jay), things just feel very left up in the air and... it's weird, ok?
Also weird that Ben appears and is acting the same way he did when Mal spelled him back in the first movie and it takes her however freakin' long to figure it out, and worse yet it takes Mal saying it for Evie, Carlos, and Jay who had all been there for the first round of Ben gets spelled outta his gourd to actually get it. None of them are meant to be stupid, and even if you pretend that Mal's emotions blinded her to the obvious, it wouldn't explain the other three. Dude, Jane seemed to have figured it out. Guys. No.
Then the fight (why is this cotillion taking place on a boat? Seriously, why?) which isn't a fight but is a fight and the CGI for Uma was just... it was weird, k? I'll never understand how Disney Channel movies allocate their funds. It's like they spent all their money on Mal's wigs and then everything else was kind of worked around that. Only the wigs were bad. Baaaaaaad. (They were. I'm sorry but they were.) Uma's was pretty but stupidly long. And I say this as someone who has on more than one occasion grown her hair out to ridiculously long lengths before. If you clocked each time Mal, Evie, or Uma did a weird little hair shift and used alcohol to do so, you'd die. You'd die real fast. Maybe not showing flashbacks to the first movie where the hair seemed better for most (not all) would've been an idea but hey, there you are.
I got lost on a tangent there. Whoops.
I think I liked most of the songs more this go round. Mal and Evie's was a standout and not just because it's the stuff of shipper dreams and Chillin' Like a Villain was stupidly fun.
As someone who loved blue mascara more than is strictly a good idea, I loved that Evie's rocking the blue lashes and eyeliner something fierce. It's a weird thing but there you are. Because I'm weird.
Before I forget to circle back to it, Carlos telling Evie and Mal they couldn't just keep excluding him and Jay from their girl talk moments since they were all a family and it wasn't fair and uh, it kinda wasn't working since Mal was breaking down. And it was sweet and cute and I did it no justice, but it was a really good moment.
I mentioned it before, but Jay understanding Mal and not judging her and basically just being there for her was again, something I really liked. Ditto Carlos reminding Mal that his life on the Isle was vastly different from hers considering his mother was pretty abusive. This and the Jay moments felt like they were syncing up a bit more with the first book (which had moments I really liked and both of these tied into that) as well as fleshing out the Core 4 more.
Lonnie being pretty awesome.
Chad's theatrics concerning Audrey cracked me up.
Gil also cracked me up.
Dizzy! ♥ And the way Evie kind of melted around her was also adorable.
Harry was fun and I could've done with more screentime from him.
Ben's wide-eyed wonderment on the Isle made sense and so did him kicking himself for not having sent for a second wave of VKs (though this is lessened a little bit by the whole "it's only been six months!" reminder). I don't really buy his assumption that Uma cares about the Isle since the only thing we're shown Uma caring about in the movie is getting one up on Mal/beating Mal/destroying Mal... you get the idea. I'm not going to say the books don't give her more to work with and I'm not going to say they do. I just think it's a reach for him to say it based on what we were shown. Then again, he also had more time than we were shown hanging out with Uma and company so there is that.
Meh on the dog talking gag. *shrug*
I enjoyed the end number more than I did the one for the first movie and it seemed like everyone was having a lot of fun so that helped too. Also, like the first movie: everyone show up in long dresses and then have them magically get shorter for the big finale! Good, good times.
Unrelated, but there is a huge spider right by my front door. Huge. o_O
Overall, I enjoyed it. I couldn't tell you if I liked it more or about the same as the first, but I will say I had expectations for this movie and did not for the first so that does tend to influence things just a tad.
Also influencing things was the feeling that we'd somehow missed something very important and that we were going to spend the whole movie chasing that thing or just never find it. I'm still not 100% sold on this being intentional. Definitely was for the opening song but after, say, an hour, the movie still felt strangely paced. Which probably had a lot to do with how it ended, honestly.
After the VKs and Lonnie save Ben, they get the hell off the Isle and Mal's spellbook gets left behind. Considering we've got another half an hour left to go, you know Uma's going to return and it's just a waiting game to see when and how. But we're also in a weird limbo state with Ben and Mal, where Mal has... come back to Auradon after swearing she was just going to stay on the Isle? I... eh? Ignoring one of my favorite moments (I'll circle back to Girl Talk as told by Carlos and Jay), things just feel very left up in the air and... it's weird, ok?
Also weird that Ben appears and is acting the same way he did when Mal spelled him back in the first movie and it takes her however freakin' long to figure it out, and worse yet it takes Mal saying it for Evie, Carlos, and Jay who had all been there for the first round of Ben gets spelled outta his gourd to actually get it. None of them are meant to be stupid, and even if you pretend that Mal's emotions blinded her to the obvious, it wouldn't explain the other three. Dude, Jane seemed to have figured it out. Guys. No.
Then the fight (why is this cotillion taking place on a boat? Seriously, why?) which isn't a fight but is a fight and the CGI for Uma was just... it was weird, k? I'll never understand how Disney Channel movies allocate their funds. It's like they spent all their money on Mal's wigs and then everything else was kind of worked around that. Only the wigs were bad. Baaaaaaad. (They were. I'm sorry but they were.) Uma's was pretty but stupidly long. And I say this as someone who has on more than one occasion grown her hair out to ridiculously long lengths before. If you clocked each time Mal, Evie, or Uma did a weird little hair shift and used alcohol to do so, you'd die. You'd die real fast. Maybe not showing flashbacks to the first movie where the hair seemed better for most (not all) would've been an idea but hey, there you are.
I got lost on a tangent there. Whoops.
I think I liked most of the songs more this go round. Mal and Evie's was a standout and not just because it's the stuff of shipper dreams and Chillin' Like a Villain was stupidly fun.
As someone who loved blue mascara more than is strictly a good idea, I loved that Evie's rocking the blue lashes and eyeliner something fierce. It's a weird thing but there you are. Because I'm weird.
Before I forget to circle back to it, Carlos telling Evie and Mal they couldn't just keep excluding him and Jay from their girl talk moments since they were all a family and it wasn't fair and uh, it kinda wasn't working since Mal was breaking down. And it was sweet and cute and I did it no justice, but it was a really good moment.
I mentioned it before, but Jay understanding Mal and not judging her and basically just being there for her was again, something I really liked. Ditto Carlos reminding Mal that his life on the Isle was vastly different from hers considering his mother was pretty abusive. This and the Jay moments felt like they were syncing up a bit more with the first book (which had moments I really liked and both of these tied into that) as well as fleshing out the Core 4 more.
Lonnie being pretty awesome.
Chad's theatrics concerning Audrey cracked me up.
Gil also cracked me up.
Dizzy! ♥ And the way Evie kind of melted around her was also adorable.
Harry was fun and I could've done with more screentime from him.
Ben's wide-eyed wonderment on the Isle made sense and so did him kicking himself for not having sent for a second wave of VKs (though this is lessened a little bit by the whole "it's only been six months!" reminder). I don't really buy his assumption that Uma cares about the Isle since the only thing we're shown Uma caring about in the movie is getting one up on Mal/beating Mal/destroying Mal... you get the idea. I'm not going to say the books don't give her more to work with and I'm not going to say they do. I just think it's a reach for him to say it based on what we were shown. Then again, he also had more time than we were shown hanging out with Uma and company so there is that.
Meh on the dog talking gag. *shrug*
I enjoyed the end number more than I did the one for the first movie and it seemed like everyone was having a lot of fun so that helped too. Also, like the first movie: everyone show up in long dresses and then have them magically get shorter for the big finale! Good, good times.
Unrelated, but there is a huge spider right by my front door. Huge. o_O
(no subject)
Date: 2017-07-25 06:47 pm (UTC)Uma really has no motivation for anything aside from her rivalry with Mal. I don't think she even wants off the Isle for any reason other than "Mal got to go and I didn't. Why is she better than me?" But Uma's a weird character to begin with. She's a pirate. But no, she's actually a sea witch, so why is she playing at pirate, stealing Harry and Harriet and CJ's thing when she could have her own aesthetic? Why is she so bothered by a lack of invitation? It's not like she's Maleficent, but she's so like her and Mal in that respect. She's like an amalgam of all these other characters and nothing comes from Ursula. She was played really nasty in the 3rd book, but is sympathetic in the movie. Everything going on with her is just kinda weird.
The talking dog bit was entirely just so they could trick Uma for thirty seconds with the wand. There's no other reason to explain it and it wasn't funny the entire time except for that moment.
Carlos will always be my favorite. Every moment was perfect! But my fave was when Evie and Mal were talking about Mal's new hair and he's like "Hello?" His face. So perfect.
I liked the little bit with Jay and Mal, too, although Jay's my least fave VK. He's just kinda there a lot of the time. Even with Lonnie, they had like zero chemistry, although his making her captain was one of my fave moments.
Harry should have gotten way more screentime. Did you know there was a bit they cut out? When they're watching Uma on TV near the end and they're celebrating, he kisses Gil. I knew they'd cut that, but it's in the movie book and I think Harry's actor posted a picture of it somewhere. On one hand, it's sad they cut it, but on the other hand, I think it was just meant to be another example of how unhinged Harry is, and Disney's first gay kiss deserves better than a throwaway like that.
My questions both involve the same person: Maleficent. Firstly, can anyone just pick up her spellbook and use it? Like it makes sense for Mal, but literally anyone else or is it only because Uma's got witch in her? And secondly...mostly importantly...WHERE IS MALEFICENT? What did Mal do with that box she took her mom to the Isle in?! That's never resolved!
I'm not sure if I liked this one or the first better, but I'd say probably this one, mostly because of Harry. He's my second fave after Carlos and he was just delightful. I'd adore Thomas if I was like 15 years younger and I'm thrilled he and Dove are a couple. So cute!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-07-26 02:10 pm (UTC)Huh. I'd expect more from Ursula's kid, honestly. Especially since they had her set up to be the villain this go round.
Sigh. Stupid talking dog shtick. Stupid question, but could Mal have just done a spell herself to make the blasted thing talk or would the dome have still blocked all magic except the wand? Or would the wand not have worked anyway had they brought the real one?
*grin* Yeah, Carlos and his exasperation at the hair talk was cute.
It's been awhile since I read the first book, but I think I liked book!Jay a fair amount and wished that they'd done more with him in the movie so I'm just happy they did something beyond "have all the girls swoon."
Aww, that sucks that they cut the kiss but agreed- it should be more than a throwaway.
I'd meant to mention the where the hell is lizard!Maleficent thing but got sidetracked. Are they just going to have Dizzy bring her back, is Mal just gonna skip on over there after the party and retrieve her or...? Cuz I'd think she could get into a fair amount of mischief in a few hours. And good question on the book. I like the thought that Uma could only use it due to witchiness but who the fuzzy knows. Did she use it or was that her mom's necklace at play?
I didn't know they were together! Aww. Cuteness! And he's definitely eye candy. ♥
(no subject)
Date: 2017-07-26 06:17 pm (UTC)