Wish (2023)

• Year: 2023
• Released: 22 Nov 2023
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 10 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11304740/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wish
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 1080p
• Language: English, Russian
• MPA Rating: PG
• Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
• Runtime: 95 min
• Writer: Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore, Chris Buck
• Director: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
• Cast: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk
• Keywords: friendship, musical, computer animation, female protagonist, betrayal by friend, aftercreditsstinger,

5.8/10

Wish Storyline

Many years ago, the Kingdom of Rosas was founded by King Magnifico and his wife Queen Amaya on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Having studied magic and sorcery, Magnifico gained the ability to grant the wishes of his subjects. When each resident turns 18, a ceremony is held where they give up their wish to Magnifico, who keeps them sealed in his observatory. Once a month, Magnifico selects one of the residents’ wishes to be granted before the city. In the present day, 17-year-old Asha prepares to interview for the role of Magnifico’s apprentice, along with her pet goat Valentino. It is her grandfather Sabino’s 100th birthday, and Asha hopes Magnifico will grant his wish in commemoration. Her best friend Dahlia, who runs the castle bakery alongside their six friends Simon, Gabo, Bazeema, Safi, Dario, and Hal, advises Asha to be honest about her weaknesses. The interview initially goes well, with Magnifico and Asha expressing a shared desire to protect the wishes of Rosas. However, when Asha requests for Sabino’s wish to be granted, Magnifico refuses. A heated argument ensues, and it is revealed that Magnifico erases the memories of the citizens’ wishes when they are made, and never returns the ungranted wishes to their owners. In doing so, the populace is rendered docile and free of aspirations, and thus dependent on Magnifico. At the wish-granting ceremony that evening, Magnifico makes a point of not granting Sabino’s wish, and dismisses Asha as his apprentice. Asha tries to tell her family the truth about Magnifico, but they do not believe her. Frustrated and out of options, Asha wishes to the heavens, and a ball of light drops from the sky, which is revealed to be a physical manifestation of the star she wished on. Unbeknownst to her, Magnifico observes Star’s arrival and interprets it as a threat to Rosas. Against his wife’s wishes, Magnifico searches his collection of ancient spell books for a way to counter Star’s power. Meanwhile, Star’s magic brings the forest to life, giving voices to the animals and the plants, as well as Valentino. They explain to Asha that all living things come from stardust. Asha, Valentino and Star embark on a mission to recover Sabino’s wish, breaking into Magnifico’s study with help from Dahlia. Magnifico puts a bounty on information relating to Star, but at a public appearance, the residents of Rosas begin questioning his rule for the first time. Agitated, Magnifico turns to dark magic to keep his power over Rosas. Asha returns Sabino’s wish, and he is overjoyed to have his memories back. However, Magnifico bursts into the family’s home, having been informed by a mole that Asha was responsible for Star’s arrival. He crushes her mother Sakina’s wish as punishment, causing Sakina to be overcome with grief. Star tries to defend her, but is spotted by Magnifico, who vows to capture him. Asha and her family flee with Star; Sabino and Sakina are sent to a neighboring island for safety while Asha returns to the city in pursuit of the other wishes. Magnifico reveals that Simon is the mole who exposed Asha and grants his wish of being a knight, turning him into his pawn. Magnifico creates an all-powerful staff by crushing more wishes. Asha rallies her friends, and they are joined by Queen Amaya as they march on Magnifico’s study. Now fully corrupted, Magnifico ascends the castle’s tower and saps the power of every wish in Rosas. While the animal companions battle Simon, Asha duels Magnifico, who traps Star in his staff and blacks out the stars. Asha, remembering that all humans come from stardust, pleads the citizens of Rosas to make a wish. They do so, and the strength of their desire overpowers Magnifico, sealing him in his staff. Star is released, and the people of Rosas are now free to pursue their wishes of their own volition. Amaya later assumes control of the kingdom, while Magnifico, trapped in a mirror, is locked away in the castle’s dungeon. Star then gives Asha a cloak and magic wand; Asha vows to continue Star’s work and grant wishes justly.

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Wish Movie Reviews

A sad realization of what Disney movies have come to be

There was once a time not so long ago, when the word ‘Disney’ in an animated project meant so much; a great storytelling experience was guaranteed and a masterpiece was always possible. But as of late, each Disney project has come to feel like a rehash of every other Disney project; slowly killing any amount of excitement one might have looking forward to each new project.

Wish is no different and is as every bit forgettable and uninspiring as people are accusing it of being. If there’s anything worth remembering though, it would have to be the watercolor-esque art style, but not even that justifies the movie’s existence. Wish lacks depth and is painfully a face-value movie. It has a Disney-protagonist, a Disney-antagonist, a Disney-merch mascot, some Disney-music, and well yea, that’s about it.

The question though, is if kids would enjoy it. After all, that’s who the movie is primarily aimed at. And the answer might be ‘yes’, but probably at a level no different than how they might enjoy say Cocomelon or something. There’s nothing magical that might stand out and nothing that might inspire. It’s yet another Disney showcase of good animation with less than nothing else to accommodate.

Another Disney flop.

As a 100th anniversary celebration, this was seriously below par, given Disney’s recent, dreary output, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was woeful.

It felt as though they’d borrowed bits of Disney classics, and bolted them together as a kind of eco friendly Frankenstein. It doesn’t manage to spark into life, arguably the most forgettable Disney characters to date.

I’ve read several comments about the animation, and plenty seem to applaud the style, quality and colours, let me be honest, this sucks, the most basic and unimaginative animation I think I’ve seen, to me it looks unfinished, did they get it out in a rush, or were there budget cuts, this isn’t Disney standard, let alone a Centenary special.

I genuinely fear for Disney, everything they’re touching seems to be going to pot, they need a major shake up, Snow White doesn’t look like a classic, where do Disney go from this?

Woeful.

4/10.

Some anniversary

Wish is a funny, perhaps unfortunate title for this movie. When its trailer came out, and people commented on how its “storybook illustrations come to life” visual style looked more like unfinished 3D animation than moving drawings, you bet there were puns aplenty about how this is just “Spider-Verse from Wish” — or, more aptly, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish from Wish” but that one sounds a bit clunky.

Indeed, for all the talk of how Wish would be a grand return for Disney Fairy Tales™ that also, I guess to commemorate Disney’s centennial, would somehow “personify” the wishing star we see in many of their films, the reception wasn’t exactly across-the-board ecstatic. On top of how weird the animation looked to people — which is odd since we know Disney can nail 2D-looking 3D, as with 2013’s The Paperman — several critics remarked on how a lot of the post-2010 Disney movies (Pixar, too) reduce themselves to “Pick a culture to explore; make generational trauma the villain” and, more importantly, have interchangeable adorkable/awkward/”quirky” female protagonists that oft sound more like Millennial YouTubers than fairy tale heroines.

Ever since Tangled, the new “princesses” have tried to replicate the vibe of Mandy Moore’s Rapunzel on some level. Wish also exemplifies that weird trend of post-Tangled Disney/Pixar films of having one-word titles that don’t sound very whimsical or exciting. (Kudos to DALLEE 3: It tends to get this right when generating fake posters for “Pixar’s *INSERT HISTORICAL ATROCITY HERE*”.) If they ever adapt H. C. Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, mark my words that it’ll just be named Pea.

The plot: The ruler of the Mediterranean kingdom of Rosas, King Magnifico, has the magical ability to keep the “wishes” of the populace in his custody to grant/return as he sees fit; each citizen has to give theirs up as they come of age. His new apprentice, Asha, senses that evil is afoot and discovers that she is able to make wishes irrespective of the king’s approval, turning towards the stars and even summoning a sentient wishing star named… Star. And yes, the plushie should be in stores now.

Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk, who naturally plays the comic animal sidekick, are all fairly funny in their roles from time to time and I may even have vibed with one of the songs. Sadly, my verdict mirrors the one that everyone else seems to have: I will not be remembering this movie in a few weeks, beyond the myriad jokes at its expense.

I suppose the Wish situation might partly be explained by the awakening that’s been happening all throughout 2023, where mainstream movies get to be truly good and artful again, and so people realize that Disney’s films may not be all that interesting — and, moreover, may not be worth defending under pretenses of activism. We are more aware than ever that options exist. Even if you truly refuse to bring back 2D animation and opt to meet people halfway by making a sort of 2D-3D hybrid, we can find more seamless attempts in such movies as Klaus (which is also a better call-back to older Disney designs than this is) and, like I said, the Spider-Verse films.

I do think people act a bit dismissive toward the picture, and there are things to appreciate in it — particularly its storybook opening sequence that mimics the typography of the one from Snow White; other images recall the likes of Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Pocahontas, etc. Alas, I think the best version of the movie was lost to another timeline where less corporate meddling took place. (Did I mention that the songs were written, not by someone with experience in musicals, but by a person who’s written songs for Justin Bieber?)

We should also give Wish this, however: It made droves of people, be they fans (the thinking, non-zealous kind) or film critics, truly appreciate what this studio used to give us, especially during the Disney Renaissance — from the superior emotional resonance of the songs to the heavy stakes and grandiloquent visuals (most notably in Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), not to mention the variety of the 2D-animated styles compared to now, when most of the movies look like they inhabit pretty much the same universe.

If you want a true celebration of Disney’s magic over the past century ’til now, I’d rather you check out the Disney+ short Once Upon A Studio (which I managed to enjoy despite being reminded not two days later of what Disney has become, as they announced another slew of remakes, even one of effing Frozen). Asha, the latest addition to the world of Disney princesses, joining hands with Snow White, the first-ever of the princesses, is significantly more poetic and moving than anything in Wish.