Review: Descendants - Wicked Wonderland

The first Descendants movie premiered in 2015, with two moderately successful sequels that proved nobody cares about continuity when it comes to Disney as long as it's fun. The franchise took a five-year-long break from 2019 to 2024 and came back with The Rise of Red, which introduced new characters, a new storyline, and tons of new plot holes. Featuring the daughters of Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, The Rise of Red was one of the weakest entries in the franchise, giving Disney ample opportunity to redeem themselves with the latest sequel, Wicked Wonderland. Did they succeed? Surprisingly, yes, at least in my opinion.

Though it's a direct sequel to The Rise of Red, Wicked Wonderland could not be more different in terms of story and production values. Chloe and Red are significantly more fleshed out as protagonists, and Pink, Red's little sister, is a wonderful new addition. The movie has better music, set design, writing, and characters, overshadowing its prequel in just about every way possible. Where The Rise of Red failed with a shoddy time travel plot that retconned many of the fairy tales that originated the Descendants franchise, Wicked Wonderland looks to the future, resulting in genuine character growth, building the framework for additional films. Was it perfect? It's still a Descendants movie, so no. However, it's a far more entertaining watch than The Rise of Red.

Wicked Wonderland begins right where The Rise of Red left off. Chloe, the daughter of Cinderella, and Red, the daughter of Bridget/the Queen of Hearts, changed their parents' pasts for the better and are dealing with some unexpected consequences. One of those consequences comes in the form of Pink, my favorite character from the film, who popped into existence when Red returned to her own time. Pink is the perfect heroine for lovers of classic princesses. Unlike the modern archetype, she has no interest in being a leader or acting tough. All she wants is to be there for her big sister and spread joy to the people around her. She is treated like an expendable addition at first but gets a full arc by the end of the movie.

Another major change is that after the events of the first movie, Maddox Hatter (aka the Mad Hatter) has turned evil and captured the Queen of Hearts, who is now good. Most of the movie revolves around the rambunctious teens embarking on a quest throughout Wonderland to rescue her. This movie's portrayal of Wonderland is quite beautiful and is one of my favorite representations of it. Bright colors, floral decor, and just the right amount of whimsy surround each area that the teens travel through on their quest. The setting of this movie delivers everything I would imagine from a magical fantasy world.

There is a large cast of characters, but the movie only focuses on a few of them. Outside of the main trio, Red has a new love interest in Luis Madrigal, the son of Luisa from Encanto. Although Encanto was not based on a fairy tale, the Descendants franchise follows the same logic as Once Upon a Time, that it counts as long as it's a Disney movie. The other primary male character is Max Hatter, the son of the movie's villain. Max has a complete arc in which Chloe and Pink are reluctant to trust him because of his father, but Red is more forgiving due to her own tepid past with her mother. This results in a series of misunderstandings leading up to a twist similar to Audrey's from Descendants 3. 

For me, a staple of a Descendents movie is awful synthesized music. While this film had plenty of that, there were a few numbers that surprised me. It contained songs in a variety of different styles, some more enjoyable than others. My favorite was the one performed by Cinderella and Bridget called "The Girl I Used to Be," which had a surprisingly vintage feel to it and was quite moving for a Descendants song. Of course, it didn't hurt that the talented Brandy performed it alongside Rita Ora, bringing back a more traditional musical style. Some other songs I enjoyed were "For Once in My Life," the romantic duet between Red and Luis, and "Who I Am," the sisterly ballad between Red and Pink.

Wicked Wonderland is a movie full of surprises that make up for what its prequel lacked. Chloe and Red are fully formed as characters, with the exception of one forced argument between them, and the additions of Pink and Luis add some much-needed softness to the franchise's rough exterior. The music is all over the place but still manages to provide some surprise hits, including a remix of 98 Degrees' "True to Your Heart" during the credits in homage to the original Mulan. If you were as disappointed in The Rise of Red as I was, this movie is worth giving the franchise another chance.