PLOT: Now that the Queen of Hearts is nice and Cinderella is safe, things seem perfect for Red and Chloe… But little do they know that changing the past created a new villain – Maddox Hatter. When Maddox captures the Queen of Hearts, Red and Chloe must work with Red’s new sister Pink, Luisa Madrigal’s son Luis, and Maddox’s son Max to save her and Wonderland.
REVIEW: I used to hate musicals. Like, outright loathe them. There was something about the spontaneity of bursting into song and the “theater kid energy” vibes that never sat well with me. As I grew older and my friend group broadened, others helped me to see the talent, dedication, and magic of musical theater. Then, in 2017, I watched John McPhail’s holiday-theme horror musical Anna and the Apocalypse, and everything changed. I began to appreciate the art of musicals even more, which led to my genuine appreciation and enthusiasm for Disney‘s Zombies franchise. One year after my Zombies movie marathon, in preparation to interview the cast of Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, I find myself covering Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, an enchanting trip down the rabbit hole that bursts with energy, color, and song.
Unlike my Zombies experience, where I watched every movie in the franchise ahead of Dawn of the Vampires, I only watched Descendants: Rise of Red to prepare for Wicked Wonderland. Time is precious and all that. Thankfully, I got everything I needed from Rise of Red to feel comfortable with the concept and cast. Rise of Red was fun, but its finale is too simple to be satisfying, making the conclusion anticlimactic. Still, the cast is wonderful, the costumes, makeup, and set design are on point, and it certainly inspired a few smiles. In contrast, Wicked Wonderland is a better movie in almost every regard, from the writing to the music, choreography, and more.
Returning for Wicked Wonderland are Red (Kylie Cantrall) and Chloe Charming (Malia Baker), who, after using an enchanted watch to rewrite the past in Rise of Red, find their worlds changed. The Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) is no longer a heartless tyrant, and Cinderella (Brandy) is once again free of the Queen’s wrath. Everything’s gonna be fine, right? Wrong! While Red and Chloe were causing mischief and busting a groove across the realms, Maddox Hatter (Leonardo Nam) went mad, searching for his precious watch, the stress transforming him into a villain obsessed with recovering his property and sowing chaos in Wonderland. In addition to Maddox’s dastardly plot, Red now has a sister, Pink (Liamari Segura), who Red is shocked to discover is unlike her in almost every conceivable way. To set things right, Red and Chloe gather their ragtag collective of heroes and villains to prevent Maddox from corrupting Wonderland with his mad magic.
Though the majority of Wicked Wonderland‘s sets are CGI, the effects team works wonders with the technology to bring the fantasy realm to life with vibrant colors, errant wildlife, and plenty of well-placed mushrooms to incorporate into a tightly executed dance number. The Mad Hatter’s lair is particularly cool, while the White Rabbit’s nook and the forests and courtyards of Wonderland are a joy to behold. It’s easy to see the seams of where the CGI meets the real world, but it hardly matters.
The characters look great against the digital backdrops, with the costume department going above and beyond to give everyone a distinct and spirited look. I liked Red’s wardrobe in Rise of Red better than in Wicked Wonderland, but Chloe’s fit is more stylish than her original attire, and her wardrobe change in the film’s final act is fire. I found myself staring at the outfits a great deal, smiling at all the ways the costume designers used lore and personality to give each outfit extra flair. I’m not going to comment on every character, but suffice it to say that all the star players look fantastic, and the makeup department works overtime to give everyone an extra spark and allure.
Much like Rise of Red, Wicked Wonderland continues an exploration of the dividing line between heroes and villains. Trust is not always in abundance in the Descendants franchise, what with all the hormones and parental programming influencing the younger generation. Thankfully, young adults are often more mature than their parents, choosing to listen to their hearts rather than to decades-old biases and history lessons that desperately need a modern perspective. The rift between the heroes and villains in Wicked Wonderland adds some drama to the mix, though the squabbles grow tiresome when insistence and honest conversation could right the ship in almost no time at all. Still, disagreements typically lead to elaborate song and dance numbers, and isn’t that a large reason as to why we’re all here?
Like any Broadway production worth its salt, the cast in Wicked Wonderland is a joy to watch. They all exhibit an energy and humility only found in theater kids reaching the stars, embracing the Disney stepping stone toward bigger and better things. The songs in Wicked Wonderland are better than those found in Rise of Red, with rap, hip-hop, and R&B numbers making up the bulk of the presentation. While not every song is a banger, more stand out than fade away, with Brandy’s duet with Rita Ora and the mushroom forest dance-off being two highlights of the bunch. The lyrics are often clever, help move the plot, and I’ll be damned if I’m not adding the line, “Your princess is showing,” to my everyday vernacular.
The young cast of Wicked Wonderland brings their all to the movie, with Cantrall and Baker appearing more comfortable in their starring roles, and Liamani Segura standing out as the sugary sweet Princess Pink, Red’s new, younger sister. Kiara T. Romero as Hazel Hook adds a sardonic air to the events. At the same time, Alexandro Byrd, as Luis Madrigal, delivers a dashing performance and has solid chemistry with Cantrall. Brendan Tremblay adds a surprising amount of nuance (for the perplexed son of a Disney villain) to Max Hatter that I did not expect, and Dayton Paradis and Ryan McEwen bring plenty of expressive, near-silent comedy to the stage. Sadly, Zevien Garrett and Joel Oulette don’t get to do much as Felix Facilier and Robbie Hood, respectively, but they take what little they get to do in stride. Finally, Awkwafina is devilish as the Cheshire Cat, whose meddling within the fairy tale realms is more sinister than anything the Mad Hatter throws at Wonderland.
Overall, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is a fantastic follow-up to 2024’s Rise of Red and better than its predecessor in almost every way. The performances are more confident, the writing is more compelling, each character gets a moment or two, and the songs are funkier, better choreographed, and more visually appealing than before. After resisting the musical genre for most of my life, I happily admit that between Disney’s Zombies and Descendants films, I’m finding my own groove within the genre. I don’t think I’ll sign up for dance lessons anytime soon, but Wicked Wonderland is a fun way to expand classic universes for a safe, savvy, and swingin’ time while running rampant in fairy tale kingdoms.
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