Disney’s latest animated feature, Wish, arrives at an important moment for the iconic company. October 16 of this year marked the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Studio. Over the past century, Disney has been of the leaders in animation, with each release feeling like a special moment. The 1990s especially featured some of the all-time greatest animated movies (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, just to name a few) that are still completely ingrained in pop culture. Suffice it to say, any time Disney comes out with a new movie, especially an animated movie, there’s a certain pressure and level of expectation associated with it. Add in the fact that Wish is the first animated release since the official 100th anniversary, and, fair or not, the hopes and expectations were even more through the roof than they might have otherwise been.
As a potential “marquee” film marking the Disney 100th, Wish probably doesn’t live up to those expectations. But to be fair, it would have required something on the level of The Lion or Toy Story to to actually meet those. So just as a standard Disney release? It’s good!
Wish takes place in the Kingdom of Rosas, ruled by the seemingly benevolent King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine). Along with his wife, Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral), King Magnifico founded the kingdom many years ago after a terrible personal tragedy. He spent years learning magic so that he may literally grant the wishes of his people. But of course that comes with a catch. When residents of Rosas turn 18, they give Magnifico their deepest, truest wish. And “give” is used quite literally here. Once given, they forget their wish. Why put yourself through worrying about meeting your goals and achieving your dreams? Why bother with the stress of trying and potentially failing? When the King decides it’s time for you, then it’s time.
But one plucky girl, Asha (Ariana DeBose), discovers the King’s true intentions. And, shocking no one, he’s actually quite selfish and evil. He has no real intention of granting the majority of the wishes he’s been given. Only the “purest” and “safest” wishes will be granted. Anything that has the tiniest bit of potential to threaten his power will never be granted. Asha is devastated by this. If the King won’t grant the wishes, he should at least give them back so the people can pursue their dreams on their own, and not have to wait for a magical grant that in all likelihood will never come.
However, as Magnifico is the only sorcerer in Rosas, Asha is left nearly powerless to make any real change. That is, however, until she wishes upon a star, which then comes to life to help Asha and her friends in their quest.
As far as stories go, Wish won’t win many points for originality. But it does add one nice – and very important – twist. Asha doesn’t want every wish to be granted at once. She doesn’t even want a guarantee that they will be granted. She just wants her friends, family, and fellow citizens of Rosas to be the ones in control of their hopes, dreams, and futures. If people have nothing to work towards, how does the kingdom advance and grow?
It’s a small change, but it’s one that makes the story leaps and bounds better and more impactful. Everyone knows the phrase “It’s the journey, not the destination.” And, in a nutshell, that’s what Asha is fighting for. When you work towards a goal, you may not reach it, but you may discover something even better along the way. You can still learn about yourself and about life in that journey. And by not having those wishes, the people of Rosas are deprived of those opportunities.
But there’s a flip side to this too. Most of the best villains are the ones who have a point. Those whose ideas might have some truth to them, but they twist it or go about achieving their plans in the worst ways. In Wish, Magnifico’s broad idea of “not every wish should be granted” is…true? I agree with it. Imagine the chaos that could cause, if every single person’s deepest desire was instantly granted? Now, of course, Magnifico’s reasoning is completely narcissistic and self-serving. So he’s still clearly a bad guy. But still, there’s some truth there, however deep it may be buried.
The voice work is excellent across the board – with Chris Pine the strongest of the bunch – but the characters themselves aren’t exactly a highlight for Wish. There’s nothing bad about any of them, but they’re all just so familiar. Asha is your usual Disney protagonist. She’s smart and determined and wants something more out of life, something that those in power are depriving her of. Likewise, King Magnifico is your typical Disney villain. He’s the leader of an idyllic (on the surface, at least) kingdom, but actually has some pretty sinister intentions. The various side characters, fun as they can be at times, are still more of the same. Again, nothing bad, just nothing that sticks out as exceptional. But hey, when it’s worked for a century, why mix things up now?
Being a musical, a big factor in how much you will enjoy Wish is the songs. I don’t think it’s going to crack the top of anyone’s “Best of” lists for Disney soundtracks, but the songs are completely fine, with a few standouts. The opening number, “Welcome to Rosas,” is a fun, energetic introduction to the setting and a few of the characters. Chris Pine’s villain song, “This is the Thanks I Get?” is a solid entry in the villain song canon. But the two highlights are the rousing anthem “Knowing What I Know Now” and Asha’s ballad “This Wish.” “This Wish” is likely to be the “big one” to come out of the soundtrack. It’s not going to be a new “Let It Go,” but not every movie can have a song like that. And four notable songs is nothing to scoff at.
Overall I had a pretty great time with Wish. The story might be too familiar for some, but it’s a story that works, that everyone can find some inspiration from. There are plenty of laughs for the kids, and enough of the jokes will land with the older audience members as well. Add in the handful of good songs that are mixed in, and you have another a solid Disney entry, reminding you of all the magic the studio has created over the last 100 years.
Score: 85/100
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