The moment The School for Good and Evil introduced a character as Captain Hook’s son, I knew that this YA fantasy film—which is now streaming on Netflix—was in trouble. Because any young person who was watching the Disney Channel between the years 2015 and 2019 knows that Captain Hook’s son is a swashbuckling goth played by Thomas Doherty, aka Harry Hook, the right-hand man of China Anne McClain’s character, Uma, in Descendants 2. And when it comes down to The School for Good and Evil vs. Descendants, anyone with taste knows who the winner is.
The School For Good and Evil also has Prince Charming’s son, an anxious boy named Gregor (as opposed to Descendants’ himbo Chad Charming). And there are a few non-Disney descendants, too: The daughter of Robin Hood‘s villain, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and, in the role of the lead male protagonist, Tedros, the son of King Arthur. Though there are differences, the concept is just too similar—and too soon—for The School of Good and Evil to make a Descendants-sized impact on youth culture.
Obviously, the 2015 Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants didn’t invent the idea of a magical school for children who fall into classic fairytale tropes of “good” and “evil.” (Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter would have something to say about that.) In fact, The School for Good and Evil is based on a 2013 novel of the same name by Soman Chainani—released two years before Descendants premiered. But it’s impossible not to make the comparison, especially because, it seems, director Paul Feig—who also co-wrote the screenplay with David Magee—tweaked details to make the movie more like the Kenny Ortega musical. (In the books, there is no son of Prince Charming; and Hort, played by Earl Cave, is the son of a crewmember of Captain Hook’s, not Hook himself.)
Perhaps Netflix wanted to capitalize on the popularity of Descendants, which earned two sequels and an animated spin-off series. But the comparison doesn’t do The School for Good and Evil any favors. While Descendants embraces campy, fun, and silly musical theater vibes, The School for Good and Evil feels more like those overstuffed fantasy films studios were churning out post-Lord of the Rings. There are far too many characters, played by far too many big names, making it so that no one gets their time in the sun. Oscar frontrunner Michelle Yeoh has less than one page of dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, much of it is nonsensical, like when a dimwitted girl asks our protagonist what the resident hot guy “smells like,” while she’s standing right next to him. (Does she not have a sense of smell, too?)
It’s not all bad. The costumes are gorgeous, and the effects are impressive. The actors, including stars Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie, do a fine job with what they’ve been given. But despite the popularity of the book series, it’s hard to picture The School for Good and Evil catching on for Netflix in the same way Descendants did for Disney. But then again, how could anyone really compete with a Kenny Ortega-choreographed dance number? If you come for the king, you best not miss. And unfortunately, The School for Good and Evil missed.