Secret Society of Second-Born Royals Review: A Second-Rate Superhero Flick With Squandered Potential

At first glance, the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals has everything. Superpowered royals, teenage spy hijinks, and so much darn potential.

There’s no denying this film has genuine moments of delight and intrigue as it pulls us into a world crafted with the very childhood wonder and whimsy we need right now. It’s a good time if you’re looking for surface-level entertainment featuring some wholesome super-powered teens.

Unfortunately, it becomes clear early on that this film is missing two crucial elements for success — a reasonable budget and smarter storytelling.

This fantastical story has the opportunity to launch an entirely unique superhero franchise for Disney+, and for the most part, it succeeds. However, the film with its subdued plot and uninspiring dialogue doesn’t seem to care enough about the story it’s telling to completely rallying viewers behind these royal spares.

The film’s title (yes, the characters are aware it’s a mouthful) says it all really. This Disney+ original movie follows five second-born royals who learn they have a superpower gene that gives them unique abilities and the opportunity to serve their countries under the authority of a secret society.

This society just happens to be run by the mother of our young rebellious protagonist, Sam. Queen Catherine is also the temporary ruler of a fake European country, whose name is ultimately unimportant.

What is important? The actress who plays Sam’s super squad leading mother is none other than Elodie Yung. It’s good to see Daredevil’s Elektra back in Disney’s superhero universe kicking butt, and in a crown no-less!

Another notable face comes in the form of Skylar Astin and his many CGI doubles. The Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist actor has the difficult job of guiding our recruits as their wise leader, James. And guide he does as the faithful authority figure and plot tool.

It’s safe to say his entire character arc can be summed up in his introduction to the second-borns, “I have a boyfriend named Henry, an iguana named Jeff, and a severe gluten allergy.”

The core characters, much like the plot, are underwhelming in their execution. But that doesn’t stop their charisma and individuality from shining through in the moments that count.

Sam in particular is difficult to connect with beyond her father’s tragic death and her friendship with Mike — a friendship the plot all but abandons along with their band.

Her family drama is some top tier stuff but it’s not exactly a personality trait, and neither is saying things like, “I want to do something that matters” to the tune of punk rock music.

That being said, the vulnerable moments we have with Sam and her family are incredibly genuine. We see Sam hide behind her hardcore exterior for the majority of the movie, so those rare moments where she lets her guard down and is honest with her sister about her insecurities feels like important progress for the character — especially if she’s sticking around for a sequel.

Viewers will certainly gravitate more towards the other second-born royals and their individual journeys.

Tuma and Matteo’s journeys are ultimately overshadowed by the bigger plot and that’s a shame because their drastically different personalities play off each other remarkably well. There’s also no denying mind-control and bug whispering are fun powers for this story to play with.

Eleanor, on the other hand, is surprisingly fleshed out for the group’s vanity obsessed princess. Her vanity and the irony that her superpower is invisibility makes for a perfect combination.

It’s rather brilliant to have the girl who believes she needs to be the face of change learn to save the day without taking credit for her good deeds. The princess also manages to secure several emotionally impactful scenes with Sam and Matteo amongst the chaos.

Her budding relationship with Matteo is particularly worthy of a sequel. The idea that it took Eleanor turning invisible to see the boy standing next to her is pretty freakin’ adorable!

It feels wrong to root for the villains of the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals. However, root for them we shall as they take full rein of the plot’s escalating conflict.

Sam’s Uncle isn’t particularly interesting, what with his predictable plan and gruff demeanour. But I respect the story for going to that dark place with him and creating a villain that shows absolutely no remorse for killing his own family. The man is down for murder, and if it gives this story depth, why not?

The real force to be reconned with here is January, the double-crossing second-born that is just as down for murder, if not more. Her betrayal isn’t exactly subtle thanks to a throw-away line about apples early on, but being privy to her plan ahead of the big reveal allows one to respect all the ways in which she deceives her fellow second-borns.

She generally seems like an upbeat person, but her dislike towards her brother and the dark implications of her ability to steal others’ powers cleverly suggests there’s something more sinister there from the beginning. 

January’s performance does become slightly more tedious after she pulls back the curtain on her plan but the girl’s opposing journey sure is exciting to watch unfold from the shadows.

There’s this common misconception that to be family-friendly these juvenile projects also have to lower the bar of expectation for their younger audience. Secret Society of Second-Born Royals suggests that keeping things clean means restricting creativity as well, and that does not have to be the case.

These whimsical preteen/teen stories can be some of the best entertainment when they are given a chance to thrive, even within the restraints of a smaller budget. This film shows an understanding of that but still struggles in execution.

Netflix’s recent hit series Julie and the Phantoms proves projects like this can catering to younger viewers through deeper stories and effective smaller-scale storytelling without having to sacrifice the quality of the story being told.

It’s something to consider because the kids of this generation deserve diverse and unique stories — but they also deserve smarter storytelling. And so does this franchise if we are going to invest our time in more of these royal adventures.

This movie has the potential to be the Princess Protection Program/Kim Possible hybrid of our Disney dreams. But it’s clear the premise is too ambitious for the cheap tricks relied on to bring this fantasy world of superpowered royals to life.

Instead, we are treated to too many shots of a school cafeteria and cheap bunk beds, one very brief “heist” foiled in a dark museum, and the most underwhelming coronation in fake royal history.

If you are going to create a movie about royal superhero spies, there has to be more of an attempt made to include any of those three elements in a more prominent way. There just simply are not enough super or spy shenanigans!

But look, there’s only so much that can be done for a superhero spy film when the entire budget is a Toronto university campus and Skylar Astin.

So if you’re looking for a light superhero ensemble with low stakes and dope jumpsuits, this movie has exactly what you need to have a fun night in with the family — or by yourself with twenty of your favourite movie snacks (no judgements either way).

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Secret Society of Second-Born Royals is streaming now on Disney+.

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