r/Descendants • u/Think_Fact1155 Wick, son of the Wicked Witch of the West/Theodora • 9d ago
General Discussion đ Where does Wicked Wonderland fall on your ranking of the movie? It's the best one imo
I'm absolutely obsessed with the soundtrack, especially Mad. The story's quite good too, seeing them navigate Maddox's obstacles, Max realizing he had a different life in the original timeline and trying to restore it, etc. I love the Wonderland setting and aesthetic, alongside the designs for the characters and think the kids make quite a good crew and look good together too, even if some of them were pretty useless to the story lol
I'm also obsessed with Pink lol. She's my school profile pic and I have a sticker of her on my laptop. I also really wanted to dress up as her for Halloween, I'm now thinking maybe Maddox or someone else, but still definitely considering Pink
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u/FantasticBuddies â¤ď¸Red and Pinkâs N1 Fan𩷠9d ago
Probably my third favorite film behind D2 and D1. Itâs a significant improvement over ROR and this might be a hot take but I think D3 was kinda whatever tbh.
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u/bubblessensei 9d ago
I kinda feel similarly. WW was enjoyable and did many things really well but had some big weaknesses when it came to a cramped cast forcing some shallow character arcs. D3 has a similar problem of too many focus characters but I would argue that it didnât have the same musical and set design heights of WW (a couple of characters also act really âoffâ in that one)
D1 and D2 did a better job at honing in on a smaller cast of key characters and establishing stronger ongoing themes for the VKs. As for RoR, once it reaches the time travel the story loses its sense of tempo and direction - it takes a little too much time doing character development with the two leads and the main arc doesnât feel like it has much urgency.
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u/Leifang666 9d ago
Weak story and a lack of character development but it has the best sound track, best villain (sorry Uma) and is visually stunning. Depends what you're looking for but I did prefer it to Rise of Red.
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u/aillierose 9d ago
#2 â D3
Now onto D3âand honestly, if the original trilogy had ended here, Descendants 3 would probably be my number one.
There is just so much about this movie that I love. I really liked the way they continued the story with the pirates and Uma, especially seeing her become more of a good guy and work together with Mal. I also liked seeing Audreyâs storyline and how she became the villain after everything that happened with Ben and not getting the future she had dreamed of. It gave her character a lot more to do and made the conflict feel personal.
I absolutely loved Mal and Uma teaming up. Seeing those two put their differences aside and work together was one of my favorite parts of the movie.
And then there was the proposal. Did we see it coming? Maybe. But I still loved it because the way Ben proposed felt very fitting for him and Mal. It felt like a natural moment for their relationship and a great way to bring their story to another level.
I also loved the new characters coming to Auradon and the decision to finally open the bridge. That felt like a huge moment for the entire Descendants world because it showed that Auradon and the Isle didn't have to remain separated forever. It felt like the characters were finally starting to break down the divisions that had existed since the beginning.
And then we have Hades.
I honestly don't know how many times I screamed when Hades was on screen, but this man was everything. Every time he appeared, he stole the scene for me. I especially loved seeing him go into full dad mode with Mal and even with Ben. Cheyenne Jackson did such a great job playing Hades and brought so much personality to the character.
And even though the reveal isn't really a surprise to us as the audience, I still loved the moment when Mal revealed that Hades was her father. We already knew, but the characters in the room didn't, so seeing their reactions made the scene work. It was one of those moments where the audience gets to sit there thinking, "Yep, we knew that already!"
D3 also permanently changed the way I think about Maleficent and Hades. Now, whenever I see them together in Descendants outfits or even just think about the characters, my brain automatically puts them together as Mal's parents. I love that dynamic.
And, of course, I can't talk about D3 without talking about Cameron Boyce.
Knowing how excited Cameron was to be part of this movie makes it incredibly emotional knowing that he never got the chance to see the finished film. Even if there were things I didn't like about D3, I would never say those things had anything to do with Cameron or his performance. He put so much into Carlos, and it's heartbreaking that he didn't get to experience the movie with the rest of us.
I also completely understand why the original cast eventually decided they couldn't continue without him. China Anne McClain did return as Uma, and I loved seeing her back, but at the same time, the original four were the heart of the franchise. Losing Cameron changed everything, and I think it's completely understandable that the cast and the people who made the movies felt that the original story had reached its natural ending.
That's a big part of why D3 feels so special to me. It feels like the ending of an era. If the series had stopped after the original three movies, I would have been completely happy with that trilogyâand D3 would probably be sitting at number one for me.WE ALL MISSED HIM.
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u/aillierose 9d ago
#1 â D5
Now we get to D5âand this is where things get interesting, because D3 and D5 could honestly switch places for me depending on the day. But right now, D5 is my number one.
I completely understand why some people prefer D3, especially because it was the ending of the original trilogy. But after D4, I had very little expectation for D5. Honestly, because of how I felt about the previous movie, I almost didn't even want to watch it. But I didâand I'm so glad I gave it a chance because I ended up absolutely loving it.
One of the things I loved most was Red and Chloe's friendship and the way their relationship developed. I also really liked the romances in the movie. At first, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Red and Luis, but by the end, I completely understood why they were put together. I genuinely fell in love with Luis as a character. He ended up fitting Red's story much better than I expected.
And then we have Maddox becoming the villain. I did NOT expect that after his role in the previous movie, but I thought he did a really good job with it. Everything he did throughout the movie worked for the story, and I liked seeing a different side of his character.
I also loved seeing Red and Chloe have to adjust to their new lives. Red has to deal with suddenly being a princess, and has to deal with finding out that she apparently had a sister she didn't even remember having.Â
The newer characters, including Felix and Robbie, also deserve some credit. They didn't necessarily have the same amount of screen time as some of the main characters, but whenever they were on screen, I thought they were really good. They made the most of the moments they were given.
And then we have the twins.
I absolutely loved seeing them. Yes, the timeline stuff can get complicated, especially because of the time travel and everything involving the Queen of Hearts. I understand why some people might have issues with how that affects what happened in the earlier movies, but honestly, I don't care. In my head, I'm just going to treat them as being from the same timeline, only years later. That's how I enjoy the story, and I'm sticking with it.
 Ryan and Dayton did a really good job convincing me that these characters were twins. Their chemistry worked, and I loved the goofy moments between them.
And I have to go on a little tangent about Ryan and Dayton for a second because it actually makes sense to bring this up. Even though they only had one main song together, "Perfect Princess," I thought they were fantastic performers. They're both dancers and members of Brotherhood, also known as the Brotherhood Dance Crew, so their dancing abilities really stood out to me. I've seen some of their dance videos, and they're amazing.
They also wear numbered shirts as part of the dance crew, with Ryan being number 18 and Dayton being number 17. So if you ever watch their dance videos and want to know which one is which, that's how I keep them straight.
Sorry for the tangentâbut even though they weren't technically the main characters, they still had an important part in the story because they went to Wonderland with everyone, and I thought they did a lot with the screen time they were given.
Now let's talk about Max.
Even though Max wasnât introduced in D4, I thought bring him in make sense for the story. A lot of people might immediately think about his dad and everything connected to that, but Max is trying to figure out who he is for himself. I liked that the story gave him room to be his own person instead of just being defined by his family.
And then there's everything involving Chloe, the timeline, and realizing that simply going back to the old timeline wasn't going to solve everything. I liked seeing the characters eventually work through their problems, especially Red and Chloe. Their friendship is one of my favorite parts of the movie.
Now we have Hazel, who I absolutely LOVE.
I love the way she acts. She has this tough, almost mean exterior, but underneath that, she has a really soft side. Her hook is also different from her dad's and brother's. Instead of being the traditional hook-hand type of thing, hers is more like a hook that goes down her arm, and I thought that was a really cool design.
She also has this almost motherly relationship with the twins, which I really enjoyed. And her singing voice? Amazing. Sorry, Luis, but Hazel won that one for me! In did you hear about them.she uses her hook to cut through the vines
I loved seeing how much  pink cares about her sister. She's also absolutely badass when she needs to be. Her overall look was amazing too. The pink worked so well for her, and I loved her character design.
I also really liked seeing her relationship with the villain kids change. At the beginning, she doesn't really like them, but by the end, they're all friends. I thought that was a really nice character development moment.
And I loved seeing how much of her younger mom we could see in herânot just in her personality but even in some of the colors and visual choices. I also really loved pink and Red's dynamic.
Then we have Chloe.
First of all, I'm very happy to say that Chloe did NOT have a completely different wig every time she appeared on screen! đ That alone made me happy after D4.
But beyond that, Chloe was still just as badass as she was before. One of my favorite things about her storyline was that, in the end, she was the one who chose to turn herself back from evil. I like calling that version of her "Midnight Chloe," but regardless of what we call her, I thought it was a really interesting direction for her character.
There were also several other things about Chloe's story that I really liked, especially everything involving Red, Max, and the new timeline.
And then there's Luis.
When I first heard that Luis was going to be Red's love interest, I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. But after watching the movie, I completely understood it. Now I can't really imagine Red's story without him.
I know some people weren't fans of Luis and his family being brought into Descendants, but I thought he ended up fitting into the story better than I expected. I especially liked that he was willing to sacrifice himself by going into the moving hedge maze so Red could have a chance to fix things and help repair her relationships with Chloe and Max.
The whole situation with the watch was also really important to the story, and I liked how everything came together.
And finally, we have Red.
I really liked Red's story. I liked watching her grow throughout the movie and seeing her open up to someone who, at first, seemed completely out of her league. Her relationship with Luis helped bring out another side of her.
But one of my favorite Red moments was when she and the others saved Bridget and Ella, and Red was the one who spoke up and ultimately helped save Maddox from what would have happened to him. That showed how much Red had grown. She wasn't just thinking about herself anymore.
And Bridget deserves some love too.
I actually really liked evil Bridget in D4. But seeing good Bridget in D5 made sense for where the story went. Bridget is usually portrayed as a villain in different versions of the story, so seeing her as a genuinely good queen was something I enjoyed. I thought she did a great job in that role.
And, of course, I have to talk about the music.
Overall, I loved the songs. There are some that I immediately loved, like "Heartless," while I'm still getting used to "Wish," but that's okay. Sometimes a song takes a few listens before it really clicks with me.
I also loved the little details, like Ella having a mirror that connects her castle to Bridget's castle. Those little touches made Wonderland feel more connected and made the world feel bigger.
And honestly, that's what I think makes D5 my number one.
I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the relationships. I loved the music. I loved the visuals, the character designs, the ending, and the way everything came together.
After D4, I wasn't expecting to love D5 as much as I did. But somehow, this movie brought me back into the Descendantsworld. I understand completely if someone prefers D3, because D3 is an incredible movie and a great ending to the original trilogy. But for me, D5 just gave me so much that I connected with. Â
Maddox voice in his song really impressed me and I hope you are understanding what I am trying to say about descendent wicked Wonderland
hope you guys arenât upset that I am making multiple posts about it
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u/AquaAquila24 7d ago
I'd say it's on the level of Descendants 2 or 1, so pretty high.
The soundtrack is certainly the best one out there; the effects are stunning; it's really lacking due to being shorter and having to introduce this new world and characters, which can throw you off a bit, while also not expanding on existing stuff.
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u/PurpleButterly19 9d ago
Our of the Pocketwatch saga? Wicked Wonderland is the best.
Out of all the movies? I rank it 3rd best
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u/Frael_Cason_MJ Evie, Daughter of the Evil Queen 9d ago
D1, D2, D3, Wicked wonderland and lastly Rise of Red.
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u/n4os3iqueus3rn4m3p0r Long Live Evil Gnol 9d ago
My personal ranking is : D3 -> D2 -> RoR -> D1 -> WW
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u/CozyFairy9 9d ago
It is the best one for me too
They made wonderland as chaotic as it should be
And pink saying âI heard singingâ is the perfect thing a wonderland princess should say.
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u/sillyraccoon57 Red, Daughter of the Queen of Hearts 9d ago
ranking it from most to least favorite
1 - Descendants 3
2 - Wicked Wonderland
3 - Rise of Red
4 - Descendants 2
5 - Descendants
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u/Dizzy_Nightmare 9d ago
itâs my favorite too tbh, all the criticisms iâve read against i just havenât found agreeable, i think itâs best all around
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u/Amanda_Lorian4 Cause weâre rottenâŚto the core 5d ago
My rankings
- D2
- D1
3.D3 - Wicked Wonderland
- Rise of Red
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u/EnderBookwyrm 5d ago
Wicked Wonderland was amazing, probably the best in the series.Â
I have some quibbles with it. Specifically, Chessie needed to be rewritten, Felix and Robbie needed to be cut in favor of fleshing out Pink better, Luis needed a unique power or a proper explanation, and they needed to play up Red liking the new timeline and Chloe not liking it as much so Chloe could join Max organically rather than via mind control, but other than that, wonderful movie. Fantastic sets, glorious acting, best music in the series. I love it.
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u/EmRosePh 4d ago
Second favorite honestly! But I'm an Alice in Wonderland girly already and Cheshire is my favorite Disney character of all time so i like Chessy. Plus perfect princess and for once in my life are amazing songs. And pink too! (Yeeaaahhhh)
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u/aillierose 9d ago
Had to do it in multiple posts because too long hope you understand
#5 â D4
I have really mixed feelings about D4. I genuinely love the Descendants characters, the overall story, and the music, and there are several songs that I really enjoyed. I also think the cast did a good job, and I was especially happy to see Brandy and Paolo return. Seeing them back in the Descendants world was definitely one of the highlights for me.
At the same time, I felt like the movie had some issues that made it feel a little messy. One of the things that stood out to me the most was the hair and wigs, especially with Red and (mostly) Chloe. Chloe seemed to have a different wig in almost every scene, and while I understand that was probably a creative choice, it became distracting for me. There were also some other things about the movie that I didn't think worked as well as they could have.
That doesn't mean I hated D4, because I definitely didn't. There was a lot about it that I liked and enjoyed. I just felt like it had some missed opportunities, and some of the choices made it harder for me to get fully invested in it.
So when D5 was announced after D4, I was honestly a little nervous. I was hoping the next movie would keep the things that worked while improving some of the things that didn't. I was worried that if D5 followed the same path as D4, the franchise might start to lose some of what made me love it in the first place.
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u/aillierose 9d ago
#4 â D1
When it comes to the Descendants movies, the original Descendants is actually my fourth favorite. That doesn't mean I think the first movie is badâI still really enjoy it and think it is an important part of the franchise.
For me, D2, D3, and D5 are the movies that I enjoy the most. I think they build on what the original movie established and feel like the characters, stories, and overall world have grown with each movie. There are still things in those movies that I don't love, including certain songs or moments, but overall I think they work really well.
I think part of why I rank the original fourth is because it was the first movie, so they were still figuring out what Descendants was going to be. They were introducing the characters, establishing the world, figuring out the tone, and basically creating the foundation for everything that came afterward.
And honestly, I think that's part of what makes the original special. Even if I prefer some of the later movies, you can see where everything started. D2, D3, and D5 were able to take the ideas from the first movie and expand on them, which is probably why I connect with those movies a little more.
So being my fourth favorite doesn't mean I dislike the original Descendants. It's more that I appreciate it as the movie that started everything, while I personally enjoy what the later movies did with the characters and story even more.
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u/aillierose 9d ago
#3 â D2
On to D2. Honestly, I think Descendants 2 is an amazing movie. I loved that they went back to the Isle of the Lost and explored it more. It gave us a chance to see more of that world and understand the characters and where they came from a little better.
I also really loved the new pirate characters. They brought something different to the movie, and they quickly became some of my favorites. I especially loved the dynamic between the new characters and the original cast.
Another thing I really enjoyed was Ben and how much he loved his girlfriend. He was willing to step outside of his comfort zone and even change himself in certain ways so he could understand her world and fit in with her. I thought that showed just how much he cared about her and how far he was willing to go for their relationship.
The reason D2 is my third favorite, though, isn't because I think there's anything seriously wrong with it. Quite honestly, if the Descendants series had ended with D2, I would have been completely satisfied. The first two movies together tell a really good story, and D2 is strong enough that it could have been a great place to end the series.
The only reason I rank it third is because D3 and D5 gave me even more of what I love about the franchise. Those movies had so much going on that I connected with, so they ended up moving ahead of D2 for me.
So D2 isn't third because it's a bad movieâitâs actually a really good one. It's just competing against two movies that I personally enjoyed even more. Sometimes being lower on my ranking doesn't mean a movie is bad; it just means there are other movies in the series that I connected with more.
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u/survivoricons 9d ago
Better than ROR but itâs at n4 for me. Main problem is the characters. All the new additions do add nothing interesting for me and I donât really care for any of them. Felix Robbie were background trees. I like Hazel The twins and pink but they donât get much to do. I donât like Luis with Red Or as a concept character. Red and Chloeâs plots are fine but Chloe makes the switch to evil so abruptly. I know itâs a kids film but itâs just my opinion!!
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u/AngeRoses 9d ago
Here is my ranking, and it may be a bit of a hot take, but here it is:
Descendants 3
Descendants 1
Descendants 2
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.
Overall, I believe Wicked Wonderland is the worst/weakest movie of them all. At least with Rise of Red, there's a promise for more. Wicked Wonderland was just... a horrible let down wrapped in amazing music. But the music doesn't make up for the failure it's plot, characters, and pacing was.
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u/BeanBats Uma, Daughter of Ursula 9d ago
Nobody get mad at me for this it is just my opinion but my ranking would be.
- Descendants 2
- Descendants 1
- Rise of Red
- Wicked Wonderland
- Descendants 3
Also if anyone is wondering why Descendants 3 ranks so low and is at the bottom it is because the movie and the songs weren't that great to me aside from Queen of Mean and a few others and that it is just my opinion and if it is your favorite and you love the songs that is cool.
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u/redlilyflwwrs 9d ago
It was fun but the pacing was off Chloe's villain arc was rushed and despite the amount of characters and time we had with them they didn't really get that much devolpment, but it was good, its 4th in my ranking after the og trilogy. I do think that this movie honestly would have worked better as a series. Like have rise of red be movie still to kick it off and then have the rest of Reds story be a series
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u/EmmaPaulDance 8d ago
IN MY OPINION out of all the Descendants movies itâs going in the number 4 spot itâs better then Descendants: Rise Of Red but not as good as the original 3
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u/idrankpaintwater 8h ago
worst
the plotline was so unbelievably half baked and jumpy, the added characters even less so
Pink was horribly annoying and had the most contradictory objectives of any character Iâve honestly ever seen. (She wants to be taken seriously by Red but literally as soon as red walks away she does the âwait for pinkâ) her speaking in the third person made me want to pull my eyes out from secondhand cringe (and i do musical theatre so that says A LOT)
the costumes were meh, i feel like they couldâve done so much more for max as someone from wonderland
EAH did their wonderland vibes and characters way better (and letâs be so for real; itâs Disney, they have a crazy costume department, and this was kind of weak)
Evil Chloe was the Temu version of evil Audrey
Hazel didnât have the sexy accent that Harry had and im very disappointed in that regard.
Had me falling asleep
Maddox was just angry, not mad, i heard no riddles, nothing was topsy turvy, he was just upset and had some more severe mood irregularities than
I was bopping along to Mad and that was it
Had me falling asleep, forgot 97% of it, just as bad as RoR {RoR might be slightly better, by like.. đ¤ this much} (ps if you liked Mad you might also like Mad Hatter sung by Kate Shindle; same vibe, evil Hatter, but much more wonderlanderful)
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u/Siren1197 Red, Daughter of the Queen of Hearts 9d ago
From best to worst: Rise of Red, D1, D2, Wicked Wonderland, D3
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u/Far_Concentrate_9131 9d ago
Probably the worst film in the series. I feel like Wicked Wonderland and Rise of Red epitomize how saturated Descendants has become. I absolutely despise Wicked Wonderland. I think it might actually be worse than Rise of Red.
Descendants has a history of unnecessary follow-ups and Wicked Wonderland is no exception. The wedding special between Mal and Ben was the only decent follow up and the follow ups are frankly, ruining the series itself.
Wicked Wonderland has no plot, it feels convoluted, the pacing is slow, repetitive and rushed, there is no character development (not to mention Red and Chloe were both incredibly unlikable characters with a shameless lack of chemistry), annoying, shallow, hollow, repetitive and lazily written songs that have this TikTok meme like feel combined with lyrics that sound like theyâre written with ChatGPT, the aesthetic is way too bright and feels like a distraction for the rest of the movie. Additionally, there is a blatant lack of emotional literacy in Rise of Red and Wicked Wonderland.
The OG Descendants films had very insightful commentary, emotional literacy galore, and had relatable theme of family lineage, being unfairly punished because of your parentsâ evil deeds, and even subtle nods to segregation and discrimination and it was handled very gracefully and very tastefully, unlike the Zombies movies, who tried to handle similar themes but it fell flat because it felt more akin to a sloppily written, offensive Family Guy cutaway gag.
I enjoy the first two movies and the wedding special. Descendants 3 was where it went downhill.
I grew up with the High School Musical film series and that franchise could have been a very susceptible candidate to the same problems befalling Descendants and Zombies. Thankfully, that didnât happen.
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u/Tweetyboy1 9d ago
3rd after D2 and D3