Omg omg omg so I saw Wicked Wonderland and yes I even got the froyo for it and it wasn't perfect but it's definitely my second favorite Descendants movie (below D2 and above D4). Okay first of all, I had this pet theory that the reason D4 looks so cheap (I am the biggest D4 apologist but I've seen the commentary from the set designer and they so rushed them and everyone and that's why it feels so half baked) and when I first saw Perfect Princess, I noticed that there were like much better sets and everything looked better. I think that Disney wasn't 100% behind D4 and so they rushed and under budgeted the movie but then D4 was super successful (I still love it so much) so now they pulled out all the stops for D5. It's such a gorgeous movie. In classic Descendants fashion, the boys don't matter it's (mostly) all about the girls (minus Max). I was so mad about Red and Luis because again the main character in a Descendants movie has more chemistry with her girlfriend(s). Like Chloe literally gets jealous of Red spending time with people besides her. Descendants really can't stop queer coding their characters. Like name one straight Descendants character. Like she doesn't even dance with him during the ending song (she's dancing with Chloe and Pink). I need to watch it again for a full breakdown. The songs are so good too! Perfect Princess is a bop obviously but I really like all the other ones. Okay, complaints time:
Chloe and her mom really didn't talk as much as I wanted to.
I really actually liked Pink in this movie (which I should have seen coming because I'm also the annoying pink little sister but with an older brother) and I'm sad she didn't get much of an arc (I feel like most characters had incomplete arcs? Need to rewatch)
Luis has no personality and chemistry with Red and their song together makes no sense because they've known each other for like two days and it bugs me that she abandoned Chloe to have a dumb number with him
Not enough Hazel Hook (Red/Chloe/Hazel though)
Descendants really has trouble with climaxes. Like I still feel like D4 has the best (people say that movie doesn't have a climax like that wasn't the culmination of their their journey together). I mean I really liked the bit with Red, Chloe, and Max but Maddox's defeat felt too easy.
Chloe doesn't seem to be wearing the shoes Red stole from Hook and I wish she was so Hazel could make a comment about it
I feel like because there are so many characters that a lot of the new ones don't get enough screentime.
Probably other stuff I need to rewatch it
More glasshearts content!
Chloe doesn't get a boyfriend!
Queen of Hearts and Cinderella get a song together!
Perfect Princess will never not be in my head
The sets are so beautiful, the effects are better, the costuming and makeup is better. We actually got a budget!
I actually liked Chessy. Honestly there's no character I disliked (besides maybe Luis)
I really like Maddox as a villain.
We get to see more of Wonderland!!
Mad is a fun villain song (first male main villain. Hades doesn't count) I love how the camera gets tilted around and the use of other camera effects. Bridget gets a verse!
Did You Hear About Them is a fun scene
I really like the whistling in Dancing with the Enemy
The fight scene is fun too. I love how much Pink enjoys it.
I like how the future thing (oculator?) shows very incomplete information so it misrepresents what happened in D4 so Max thinks that Red just changes the past to have a nicer mom.
We kinda get the angst thing I mentioned in a previous post about Red isn't fully happy with her current present and that hurts Chloe because my mom died in the original timeline
I really like Evil Chloe as like an inversion of how Red is in D4 (Chloe is a good girl who wants to be bad where Red is a bad girl who wants to be good)
Plot is of course solved by yuri
Okay Evil Chloe is so pretty though
I think I almost freaked my friend out because I was so excited we got an ending song
No but why is this movie more colorful than any Disney live action remake?
I feel like the Red and Chloe conflict could have used another rewrite but I was hoping for them to fight and make up.
Overall I really enjoyed it! I'm gonna rewatch it with a different friend and I'll share more thoughts tomorrow. Of course we got a "you didn't think that was the end of the story" so hopefully we get D6? (I know there's some drama between Kylie and Malia but I try to stay out of personal stuff so I'm not super informed on it). Definitely watch it if you can and give Rise of Red another chance. It's actually really good.