If you have ever watched a Disney film or heard a song where the main character wishes upon a star, and you wished you knew how wishes work, well, your wish has come true, sort of, with the new animated film, err… Wish.
This original story has a rather awkward setting, taking place on an island called Rosas, where an accomplished magician, Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), rules as king and has the ability to grant wishes.
People come from around the world and submit their hopes and dreams to the ruler in hopes that one day he will grant their wish, which he does, but only one time per year. Apparently, like lottery players, the people of Rosas are not great at figuring the odds.
Our hero is young Asha (Ariana DeBose), who hopes to be a sorcerer’s apprentice (amongst the myriad of other Disney Easter eggs to be found in this film) with Magnifico, until she realizes he’s just plain mean and evil and doesn’t really care about Rosas gullible citizens.
In desperation, Asha wishes upon a star and faster than you can say “Jiminy Cricket” the star comes down out of the sky and teams up with Asha and her friends and her goat (I think it’s a goat), Valentino (Alan Tudyk), to go up against Magnifico and set her peoples wishes free.
It turns out the star gives animals and plants the ability to speak, so there are talking animals and singing galore, plus wishes and stars and, yes, yes I know it sounds like the ultimate Disney animated film.
Well, despite its ambitions, I didn’t think it was quite all that. There’s not much here we haven’t seen before, ad nauseam. Nevertheless, Wish is still kinda fun, it has some great, Broadway-esque tunes (my favorite is “Knowing What I Know Now” – check it out here), there is some interesting animation texturing going on here, and if you are a Disney fan you can try to note all the nods to other DIsney movies.
As I mentioned, overall it’s a pretty weird and cumbersome narrative, but its heart is in the right place… just don’t set your hopes too high.
