Secret Society of Second Born Royals Fires on All Cylinders

Many people grow up with an older brother or sister that has that classic A-type personality that can seem to do no wrong?  You know the ones who seem to excel at just about everything they do? Well, imagine that older sibling being a royal.  Can you even imagine the pressure that comes along with that?  Imagine how Prince Harry must’ve felt constantly being told and treated like he was second best.

Secret Society of Second Born Royals follows Sam (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a teenage royal rebel second in line to the throne of the kingdom of Illyria. Just as Sam’s disinterest in the royal way of life is at an all-time high, she discovers she has super-human abilities and is invited to join a secret society of similar extraordinary second-born royals charged with keeping the world safe. With guidance from their Secret Society instructor James (Sklyar Astin), Sam and a new class of royal recruits, Tuma (Niles Fitch), January (Isabella Blake-Thomas), Matteo (Faly Rakotohavana) and Princess Roxana (Olivia Deeble) must first learn to harness their new powers at a top-secret training camp before they can save the world.

Let me just say Director Ana Mastro gave me vibes of Princess Diaries meets Goonies meets The Avengers.  One of the thing Is love most about this film is that our lead characters are Asian and not in a stereotypical type of way.  Page Elizabeth Lee and and Elodie Yung (Queen Catherine) display in a tender, real way the complicated dynamics of mother and daughter regardless of race.  Screenwriter Alex Litvak and Andrew Green give the script some comical moments (‘Drop Dead Fresh Prince’) and subtle homages to the Bat Cave and Get Out, which add to its charm, in addition to, illustrating that everyone regardless of family rank has something about them that makes them worthy and valuable.

Peyton Elizabeth Lee is badass running, jumping and being a superhero while  running in ball gown with Doc Martens gave me life as did all these young actors.  Each one possessing a power that moved beyond the shallowness of being a teen in a technological dependent world.  More importantly, the message of being a second royal doesn’t mean second best is a lesson every person of any age can learn benefit from.  Being your best regardless of your rank in your family, in the world and in life should never effect your ability to be the most wonderful version of you there is to exist.

Wanna know what all their secret powers were?  Well, tune into Secret Society of Second Born Royals steaming right now on Disney Plus to in out.  I smell many sequels coming on…