Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Wicked Wonderland is gorgeous. The production design is a love letter to Alice in Wonderland - think neon mushrooms, floating teacups, and a Queen of Hearts castle that looks like a gothic dollhouse. Budget limitations are visible (cough the CGI rabbit cough), but the colors pop like a TikTok filter on overdrive. Kimmy Gatewood directs with a playful energy, making sure every scene feels like a page from a storybook that’s been dipped in glitter.
The cast is the real heart here. Kylie Cantrall’s Red is sassy and vulnerable, a teen trying to escape her mom’s shadow while literally rescuing her. Malia Baker’s Chloe is the perfect foil - practical, but with a growing edge. But the breakout is Liamani Segura as Pink. She’s the “new sister” who represents Wonderland’s weirdness, and her solo number about “being pink in a purple world” is both catchy and surprisingly emotional. Rita Ora leans hard into the Queen of Hearts’ campiness - shouting “Off with their hairdos!” with zero shame - while Leonardo Nam’s Maddox Hatter is a genuinely menacing villain, all ticking clocks and broken teacups. Brendon Tremblay’s Max adds depth; his father-son conflict with Maddox feels real, even amid all the fantastical nonsense.
Musically, the songs are a mixed bag. The opening number, “Wonderland Welcome,” is an earworm that’ll stick in your head for days - think “Be Our Guest” on Red Bull. But the ballad “Save Your Crown” between Red and Chloe drags a bit. Still, the choreography is sharp, and the finale song “Madness is Love” is a banger that ties the family theme together. The script, written by the Descendants team, balances humor (“I’m not short, I’m fun-sized for chaos!” quips Chloe) with genuine stakes, though the plot sometimes feels like it’s skipping stones - Maddox’s motives get a little lost in the second act.
Comparisons to The Rise of Red are inevitable, but Wicked Wonderland carves its own niche. It’s less about high school drama and more about the consequences of fixing the past - a theme that resonates with Gen Z’s obsession with “healing” and “reparenting.” Plus, the inclusion of Luis from Encanto is a smart nod to Disney’s multiverse, reminding us that all these worlds are connected. The runtime (98 minutes) is perfect for a TV movie; it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but you might wish for more time with the side characters.
