[W]hile the first exhibited flashes of inspiration, the second feels entirely phoned in, as if it could skate by on the title alone.

The kids are largely on their own in Descendants 2. That makes for a dumber film, but the target audience for this colorful tuneful fluff won't care and may even consider it an improvement.

Descendants 2 will not disappoint, and that means fans as well as Disney's number crunchers.

Disney fan fiction in excessively vibrant living color, but man, if it isn't delightful.