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To commemorate Disney’s 100 year anniversary, it was only right for its animators to create a film centered around hopes and dreams as a way to kick off the final leg of the celebration. Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, and written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, Wish follows the story of a hopeful young girl, Asha, as she approaches adulthood. Asha lives in the kingdom of Rosas ruled by King Magnifico and his Queen Amaya, where wishes of their subjects are sacrificed and kept safe until the time is right to grant them. When Asha discovers the truth about the wishes, she finds herself dreaming a little too hard, leading her on an adventure to save the kingdom from evil.
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Disney’s Wish is certainly imaginative as it takes the one thing we all have and turns it into a story about hope, despair, and unity within a community. Our main character, Asha, voiced by the wonderful Ariana DeBose, feels like a representation of the audience. At a young age, we’ve generally all been made to believe that our wishes or dreams will eventually come true. But it’s never disclosed to us that sometimes, wishes can change as we grow, and sometimes, they might not ever happen. After a century of countless stories where our favorite leading characters are always wishing upon a star or hoping that their hard work gets them what they want, Wish tackles the “what if” question in such a genius way that makes us want to question our own dreams.
But is the magic of Disney still alive and present in the film? To be honest…yes but also not quite. There is wonder and joy spread throughout the film with its music and new cast of fun characters. Asha herself isn’t like the legendary Cinderella or the iconic Tiana, and she never aims to be. Instead, she’s her own dream chaser, one whose wish is for the good of all and not just for herself, which is the relevant path for Asha’s story. Not only is the audience able to connect to Asha but we are, in a sense, also able to relate to the people that make up the kingdom of Rosas. And we cannot forget the animation that combines Disney’s traditional hand-drawn style with its more recent CGI styles which create something new and unique, at least for Disney’s standards. Many of the backdrops for the film are reminiscent of older animated films, and the subtle easter eggs throughout Wish blending into the background or onto character designs are a magical sight.
However, it’s hard to ignore the decreasing magic coming out of Disney in recent years, and it certainly shows in Wish. The story, while hopeful and inspiring, has an obvious gaping hole in it causing the overall film to feel a bit empty at times. Chris Pine as a villain on his own is great, but feels less of a genuine threat over time as the story moves along with a predictable and lackluster moment. And while sidekick characters are welcome to steal the show at some point, a majority if not all of Asha’s friends felt boring and one-dimensional, as if refusing to catch our attention. Frankly, there’s something to be said when your most hilarious and likable characters are a talking goat voiced by Alan Tudyk with the best one-liners and an adorable non-verbal star that wants to throw hands every five seconds.
And look, no one can deny the way music shapes Disney’s films. And while there are absolutely a few great hits from Wish, not a single song feels memorable enough, with the exception of the title song, “This Wish” performed by DeBose. Not even the iconic villain song feels like one that would make its mark in history that is akin to “Be Prepared” or “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, even with Chris Pine’s interesting performance. One can only hope to be wrong entirely, and that the soundtrack for Wish blows up when the film reaches Disney+, but as it stands, that famous Disney magic is almost nonexistent within its music.
While Wish can’t exactly be labeled as one of Disney’s best-made films, it still makes a hard-hitting attempt at sending a hopeful message to audiences of all backgrounds. It’s not the music or its villain that makes the film what it is but rather the reminder that it’s perfectly alright to make wishes, no matter how old we are. But it’s also important to accept that it’s alright if our dreams change and that it’s ultimately our responsibility to make it happen. And in a time of constant uncertainty, that is a fantastic message to portray during Disney’s 100th anniversary.
Samosa Rating:
Wish receives 3.5 out of 5 Samosas.
Wish is now playing in theaters.
Runtime: 1hr 35m
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