Get ready for an all new magical musical adventure of self-discovery in Disney’s Descendants, available on DVD July 31, 2015, starring Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent, Dove Cameron as Mal, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Sofia Carson as Evie, and Mitchell Hope as Ben.
For 20 years villains have been exiled, living in the Isle of the Lost, condemned to eat scraps and annoy each other. Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella de Vil remember the better days of power, beauty and a fur coat made from puppies. Now they have children of their own: Mal the daughter of Maleficent, Evie the daughter of The Evil Queen, Jay The son of Jafar and Carlos the son of Cruella de Vil. Thanks to Prince Ben’s royal proclamation, this new generation brings hope to Maleficent as she dreams of a brighter future by using her offspring to steal the wand from the Fairy God Mother. Mal may just get the chance to make all of Maleficent’s dreams come true…and the dreams of her fellow villains as well.
However, there is something Maleficent did not expect, some factor that has the ability to destroy evil, changing their offspring into good model citizens of Auradon. No, it isn’t love. This time around, a prince can’t save the day, a dwarf can’t keep you safe, and a carriage can’t speed you away from danger. Nay, those items are the least of Maleficent’s worries, for hidden in a small red package lies the death of evil and the beginnings of all things good. I give you…The Strawberry. This one little berry that looks so harmless can be the most dangerous of all to a Disney Villain.
Do you doubt my theory? What if I told you the entire reason for Mal’s change from evil to good lies in the pure innocents of a little strawberry? Seriously, without her indulgence in the foods provided by Auradon, we would have had evil triumph and good exiled to the Isle of the Lost. Maleficent would become queen of all. Here’s the proof:
After making Prince Ben fall in love with her, Mal accompanies Ben on a date to a wonderful lake-side picnic. All sorts of foods are available including the infamous strawberries. Although her one goal is to use Ben to get close to the Fairy God Mother’s wand and steal it, Mal sees no harm in sampling the delights. She is denied such foods living on the Isle of the Lost and felt she had a right to indulge. With the strawberries sitting right next to Mal, the trap is set. (Personally, I think the strawberries were placed next to Mal strategically by Ben. He knew about the magical properties that strawberries possessed and he wanted Mal to eat one.)
Amazingly, Mal passes over the strawberries through the first part of the date. Her evil powers are certainly stronger than mine, I would have been all over that berry feast. It isn’t until Ben decides to go swimming that Mal reaches for the closest thing she can hold onto. Having never learned to swim, Mal attempts to avoid embarrassment by claiming she hasn’t had the opportunity to taste a delicious strawberry. As the berry passes her lips, she bites down. The juices run past her tongue leading to a burst of berrylicious flavor. Her eyes dilate and her demeanor softens. Evil begins to melt away as the desire for another taste of that lovely berry kicks her senses into high gear. She shoves another strawberry into her mouth and we lose our once evil Mal.
This is the turning point in the entire film. At that moment, while Ben is swimming, Mal realizes she may love Ben and breaks into her solo, “If Only.” A heartbreaking realization occurs to Mal as evil melts away making room for love, she will have to defy her mother to keep Ben. All thanks to one little strawberry melting the evil within, Mal no longer wishes to steal the wand for her mother.
Perhaps, because she ate so many strawberries, Mal’s thoughts travel back to Ben swimming in the lake. Shock leads to horror as she realizes Ben has not come up for air. In desperation she runs into the lake only to remember she can’t swim. Her evil is washed away leaving behind a girl who would give up everything to save her love; love that would not be there if she hadn’t eaten the strawberry.
In the end, it all came down to a little red berry, innocently sitting in a glass bowl. Mal’s whole world changed the minute she tasted the delicate strawberry. In fact, the whole story changed. Instead of Mal stealing the wand and giving Maleficent power over good and evil, Mal convinced Evie, Jay and Carlos to defy their parents. Maleficent’s plan never comes to fruition, Mal falls in love, and the Descendants are free to live their own life. It is truly amazing what a seemingly harmless berry can do.
Watch Disney’s Descendants, and see if you agree with my theory. Are strawberries the most powerful berry in Auradon?
To purchase the DVD, which includes Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features and a Free Bracelet, head over to amazon.com by clicking the image below.
From the Emmy Award-winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega (“High School Musical” franchise) comes this original contemporary story of classic Disney characters reinvented and the introduction of modern Disney lore. Enter this new epic universe of relatable tween characters on a journey of self-discovery. New on Disney DVD, and complete with never-before-seen bonus and a FREE bracelet!
In a present day idyllic kingdom, the benevolent teenaged son of the King and Queen (Beast and Belle from Disney’s iconic “Beauty and the Beast”) is poised to take the throne. His first proclamation: offer a chance at redemption to the trouble-making offspring of Cruella de Vil, Maleficent the Evil Queen and Jafar who have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters. These villainous descendants (Carlos, Mal, Evie and Jay, respectively) are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of iconic Disney heroes, including Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan.
Don’t forget to grab all the free printables and have an epic premiere party!
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