'Descendants': EW review

Much like Wicked and Maleficent, Disney Channel’s new movie musical focuses not on the do-gooders but the villains. Or, more specifically, their offspring: Mal (Dove Cameron), daughter of Maleficent (an over-the-top Kristin Chenoweth), and Evie (Sofia Carson), daughter of Evil Queen, are the stars here, along with the sons of Jafar and Cruella de Vil. As an act of charity, the bad kids are invited to attend a squeaky-clean prep school where the children of Disney heroes happen to be students. But plot isn’t really the point. The fun is in the roll call: seeing how the children of Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and Dopey take after their parents—and dance out of their shadows. It’s no High School Musical, but the songs are catchy, and the junior villains are worth rooting for. B