Review: The Descendants

     Perhaps it is because I was raised in the midwest, but I am never able to take movies set in Hawaii, or some other tropical paradise, seriously. I always think that no matter how serious the problems of the characters can't be all that bad, they live in Hawaii after all. I always assume that if a movie takes place in Hawaii it's because the people making the movie want to take a vacation. The opening narration of The Descendants (2011) addresses this issue. We're told that the people of Hawaii have their fair share of problems, that their cancer is just as bad as anywhere else. This narration coupled with footage of Hawaii's homeless population attempts to lend credence to this sentiment, but the film fails to maintain this sentiment throughout the remainder of the story.