A Disney Channel Original Movie holds a special place in the heart. As a kid growing up in the 2000s, nothing beat coming home from school on a Friday night and watching DCOM classics like The Cheetah Girls, High School Musical, and Camp Rock II: The Final Jam. Like every generation, those kids grow up, and a new wave is introduced — meet The Descendants franchise.

I’ll admit, The Descendants franchise was beyond my prime at Disney Channel, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t hear about its impact. Disney’s new wave of stars, Dove Cameron and Cameron Boyce, starred as the offspring of Disney’s most famous villains, sent off to the magical prep school Auradon to encounter mischief. With choreography by the legendary Kenny Ortega and catchy songs, The Descendants’ three-film run became a major success, with the original film premiering almost a decade ago.

Premiering on Disney+, the fourth installment of the series,  features new characters still battling the forces of good and evil. Princess Red (Kylee Cantrall), Descendants: The Rise of Red daughter of the evil Queen of Hearts, played by Rita Ora, yearns for freedom to escape her lonely life, blocked off from the rest of Auradon, and wants to break free from her evil mother. Uma (China Anne McClain) has just been named Principal, and luckily for Red, she has been invited to attend Auradon Prep in honor of Carlos (played by the late Cameron Boyce in the first 3 films), who would’ve wanted all villain kids to be accepted.

Upon her arrival, the Queen of Hearts stages a coup against Cinderella (played by Brandy), and it’s up to Red and her new unlikely ally, Chloe (Malia Baker), to travel back in time to undo the Queen of Hearts’ literal villain origin story, or the kingdom is lost forever.

The cast and crew are incredibly dynamic and play off each other incredibly well. Brandy as Cinderella is the perfect sentiment, radiating true “princess” energy in every scene she’s in. She has some of the more touching moments in the film and plays off Rita Ora so well, who is just a joy to watch on screen. Dara Renee is incredible as Uliana, Ursula’s younger sister, and plays the villain role exceptionally.

The dance sequences, while not quite living up to the magic Ortega and his choreographing partner Jamal Sims showcased in the first three films, are still enjoyable to watch, especially “Perfect Revenge.”

Descendants: The Rise of Red does a fantastic job of establishing itself outside of the first three films and can gain new fans of the franchise. With themes of friendship, kindness, and hope, the film stays true to the original themes of the first three films while introducing new characters to reimagine young adolescence.

A small cliffhanger at the end of the film lets us know this isn’t the last time we’ll see The Descendants.

Descendants: The Rise of Red premieres Friday, July 12th on Disney+.