In back-to-back years, Disney Channel worked to revive the Descendants franchise with Descendants: The Rise of Red and kick off a potential soft reboot of the Zombies series with Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. But, between the two franchises, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires succeeded where Descendants 4: The Rise of Red did not. The fourth installment of the Zombies series effectively utilized four of the franchise's original characters to help bring in the next generation of potential leads should Disney Channel move forward with officially passing along the torch.
For one thing, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires takes full advantage of Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly's returns as film leads Zed and Addison, as well as their roles as executive producers. Zed and Addison are not the central characters of this movie, with their storylines acting more as a subplot to the rising leads, Victor and Nova, portrayed by Malachi Barton and Freya Skye. Zed and Addison do have active roles as mentors to the new slew of vampires and daywalkers, but their individual plot lines are mostly sidelined. Still, their storylines do work to simultaneously give the two one last lesson in a final send-off as the Zombies franchise works to let go of their original leads while introducing the next generation.
Zed and Addison are sturdy mentors, having already undergone all of the emotional strife and opposing issues that Victor and Nova are experiencing in the moment. Along for the ride are Eliza (Kylee Russell) and Willa (Chandler Kinney), who have even less to do but serve as a solid reminder of the foundation of the series. At the very least, Zed, Eliza, and Willa experience personal stakes in comparison to Addison, who, having already discovered that she is an alien, only now relies on her plot line of determinedly bringing opposing forces together. If fans are going into this movie expecting Zed and Addison to take center stage, they will be sorely disappointed. But Zed and Addison's inclusion as active mentors bonding with the incoming leads of a potential soft reboot of the Zombies franchise kept the movie grounded in a way that Descendants: The Rise of Red just never had the opportunity to have.
Descendants: The Rise of Red featured an appearance from China Anne McClain, who portrayed Uma in Descendants 2 and Descendants 3, but her screen time was limited. The same can be said for Melanie Paxson, who played the Fairy Godmother. Uma barely interacted with any of the film's main characters, and it did not help that the main plot of the film primarily took place in the past. Chloe (Malia Baker) and Red (Kylie Cantrall) are the only characters from the present day who are able to make an impression, and they have no real connection to Mal, Evie, or any of the other original main characters. There is no sense of passing on the torch. Aside from these two sides of the franchise sharing a universe, there is no real sense of connection between Descendants: The Rise of Red and the original trilogy. It also does not help that Kenny Ortega, the director of the original Descendants trilogy, was not brought back to direct the project, which is another aspect that Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires has over it.
Paul Hoen, who directed the original Zombies trilogy, returned as well to direct Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. The consistency of having the same director at the helm of the project helped create an easier transition from what the series had been to teasing what it could be. Zed and Addison's voices and perspectives are still as clear as ever, and their final walk into the sunset, knowing they are leaving behind their own mentees who have learned the same lesson they did, offers them an emotional epilogue to their relationship and original storylines. Their ending is earned, as Zed and Addison recognize that spending time with their loved ones is just as important, if not more, than striving for an individual goal. This story sees their growth into young adults on full display as their development has allowed them to see that their ambitions, while important, should not overshadow the time they spend with their friends and families.
Descendants: The Rise of Red struggled in nearly every way, from characters to music and choreography to how the uninspired storyline's biggest climactic moment contradicts its own stakes. Its choices never quite live up to what worked about the original trilogy, and its attempt to act as a rebirth continually found ways to dig a deeper hole. The film contradicted details that already seemed established within the Descendants universe, even before Chloe and Red actively made changes to the timeline. In comparison, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires does work to try and use its previously established leads to move the series as a whole forward, even if they will not be moving ahead with it. Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires serves as both a goodbye and a potential rebirth of the franchise, starring new characters for a new generation, as it seemingly completely cuts itself off from Seabrook, Zombietown, and the rest of the franchise's familiar locations.
Ultimately, both of these Disney Channel movie franchises could have successful futures in their new spinoff iterations. But, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires does a better job at setting up new character relationships and storylines for whatever happens next. While Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires was all about setting up for the future, Descendants: The Rise of Red found itself trying too hard while ending up stuck in the past in a way that prevented a real sense of forward movement, even if the movie's final moments tease that the impact of changing the past could be monumental.
Regardless of whether there is a fifth movie in the Zombies franchise, the fourth film still found a way to incorporate the original themes and create important bonds between many characters, original and new, that could pay off later on if the franchise continues.
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