Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, directed by Kimmy Gatewood, follows Chloe (Malia Baker) and Red (Kylie Cantrall), who discover that changing the past has led to unexpected consequences. Maddox Hatter (Leonardo Nam), who has a very grand presence, was once Red’s best friend and is determined to claim the Pocket Watch for himself. Frustrated that everyone sees him as “mad,” he sets out to get the pocket watch and try to undo this new timeline. It’s up to Red and Chloe to stop him before it’s too late. Red discovers that she now has a new sister, Pink (Liamani).

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland was a wonderful film in the franchise, and it felt like the characters had matured a lot since we last saw them. As for the comedy, they keep a similar tone and don’t have lots of overly silly jokes. There’s some self-aware comedy in this film that I don’t believe they had done before. The story is unlike anything we have seen before in the franchise. The film is the most action-packed in the series, but more with chase scenes and adventure rather than numerous fights.

Chloe isn’t intimidated by the VKs anymore. She stands her ground confidently, while Red doesn’t rise to their mean behavior. Instead, she seems more bored and unimpressed by their antics, refusing to give them the reaction they’re looking for or fuel their behaviour further. As for the characters, there are many meaningful and impactful subtle moments throughout the film. A lot of characters have small interactions with each other, even in the background, that add much more depth to their personalities and relationships. Whether it’s characters supporting one another, sharing a quiet moment, or making small apologies, these details make them feel more realistic and natural.

The cast is all fantastic. Cantrall continues to shine as Red. I found her character has grown significantly since the previous film. We see a more trusting and compassionate side of her, which adds depth to her personality. Another aspect I liked is that, instead of immediately reacting with anger, she’s much calmer. That said, she hasn’t completely left her old habits behind. Just like in the previous film, there’s a moment where she lets her emotions get the better of her, pushes things a little too far, and takes a situation further than she should. It feels like a realistic reminder that, although she’s matured, she’s still a work in progress. Red has some cool moments throughout, and I loved when she did a badass hair flip after winning a battle, some cool eye rolls, or Red’s one-off lines.

I also liked the subtle choices Cantrall made in her performance, especially the way Red would shake or tap her leg and foot when she was feeling stressed or thinking. These gestures helped show emotions and made the character feel more authentic. Kylie, captures Red’s courage and determination while showing the conflict and the battle within her strong exterior. Cantrall’s engaging screen presence and heartfelt performance make Red’s journey both compelling and memorable, adding emotional weight to the film.

Baker, as Chloe, delivers an amazing performance that is vastly different from Red’s character. Throughout the film, Chloe feels overlooked, unheard, and uncared for, and Malia does a fantastic job of conveying just how deeply Red’s actions have hurt her. You can really see the upset and pain in Chloe’s emotions, and you can’t help but feel awful for her. Malia is fantastic at making Chloe feel slightly intimidating and, at times, rather scary. She delivers a wonderfully wicked performance that perfectly shows both Chloe’s vulnerability and her darker side. The film does an excellent job of helping the audience understand both characters’ perspectives, making the motivations behind their actions feel believable. I appreciated that Red didn’t fully realise the extent to which she had hurt Chloe and genuinely tried to lift her spirits, adding a layer of authenticity to their relationship.

This misunderstanding, combined with Red’s sincere efforts to make things right, made their dynamic feel more realistic and gave their emotional journey greater impact. A big theme of the film is being judged, underestimated, and overlooked.

Liamani, as Pink, gave a great, charming performance. Pink acts all perfect and girly but has a fierce side and is much more clever and strong than people think of her. As the film goes on, we find out more information about her character, and she is not as oblivious to how people treat her as we first thought.

She had some funny moments; for example, when she lost her shoe and said, “Oh, my hearts.” Liamani balances the character’s sweetness, humour, and hidden strength with confidence, creating a performance that is both engaging and heartfelt. I liked her surprised and happy expression in the final song! As for the VKs, I found this group to be far nicer and more mature than any of the previous VKs in the franchise, besides Red. They are a lot kinder, and I noticed a lot fewer arguments.

Tremblay delivers a fantastic performance as Max Hatter, bringing both charm and depth to the role. He captures Max’s vulnerability, conveying his frustration at constantly being judged as the villain. Brendan’s performance captures Max’s internal conflict and growth, creating a character who feels far more complex than he first appears.

Kiara T. Romero is fantastic as Hazel, bringing confidence, loyalty, and a caring side to the character. She does a great job showing Hazel’s tough exterior while still letting her softer side shine through. Hazel seemed more willing to accept the HKs than they were to accept her. Kiara portrayed Hazel’s desire to belong in a subtle and natural way. I loved how she would spin her weapons around, which added a sense of confidence and personality to her character.

Alexandro Byrd as Luis was charming and gave an energetic and captivating performance. Luis is a character who is caring, strong, and kind, but he can also be a little show-offy and full of confidence, and Alexandro embodied this balance perfectly. He brought a wonderful sense of energy and personality to the role that made Luis a joy to watch.

Rita Ora (Queen of Hearts) and Brandy (Cinderella) are great in this film and have a beautiful song together. You can see how much fun they are having while performing together. Brandy has more to do this time around.

Visually, the sets and worlds look amazing. There is so much to take in, with endless details for your eyes to explore. Everything is colourful and bigger, making this the most high-budget Descendants film so far, with huge practical sets, impressive effects, and the biggest team-up the franchise has seen. The choreography in this film is wonderful, and one of the highlights of the dances and songs was “Did You Hear About Them.” It had such different, unique choreography and a style unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was so cool, especially the dance choreography, the tension, and the sort of mini dance battle between Hazel and Luis. I especially thought it was cool how the song and choreography ended.

Red and Luis have a beautiful romantic dance in “For Once in My Life,” with stunning visuals, choreography, and great chemistry between Kylie and Alexandro. The way they looked at each other made the scene even more special. They both worked perfectly together, and you could see the sparks flying between them. I also loved the outfits and shoes throughout the film. Everything is bright and colourful. Max’s hat, Luis’s vest jacket, and Chloe, Red, and Hazel’s cool boots all stood out. I especially loved the hearts in Red’s hair, although I thought it was funny that she wore odd shoes. Hazel’s and Chloe’s weapons were great.  

Unfortunately, Wicked Wonderland did have a few small issues. In some of the more visually effects-heavy scenes, you could tell they were filmed on green or blue screens, so I wish those effects had been improved. I wish it had explained a bit more about Red and Maddox Hatter’s relationship and what caused their falling out in the new timeline. I was also disappointed that we didn’t get the moment that it kept teasing between two characters. Some of the logic near the very end didn’t add up or make much logical sense.

Overall, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is a fantastic film. I thought the ending was handled nicely and tied everything together, but it also left me feeling like we may not see many of these actors and characters return. While the story wrapped up satisfyingly, I hope we get another film with the same cast because there’s still so much more I’d love to see from these characters.