A One Mann’s Movies review of “Wish” (2023).
“Wish” is Disney’s 62nd animated feature film. It’s released as Disney turns 100 years old – Walt and Roy Disney founded Disney Brothers Studio on October 16, 1923. So, with such a legacy of great films behind it, you would think this would be developed as a fitting tribute. And, to a degree, it is.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Asha (Ariana DeBose) is brimfull of hope for the future for two reasons: FIrstly, she has an interview with King Magnifico (Chris Pine) to be his trainee; Secondly, her grandfather Sabino (Victor Garber) has just turned 100 years old. Surely, this will be the ‘wish ceremony’ that Magnifico uses to make Sabino’s stored wish come true? But when things don’t turn out as planned, Asha wishes on a star… and you know what happens then.
Certification:
UK: U; US: PG. (From the BBFC web site: “Mild fantasy threat, very mild rude humour, language”.)
Talent:
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Victor Garber, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama.
Directed by: Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn.
Written by: Jennifer Lee & Allison Moore. (From a story by Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn & Allison Moore, with additional material by Carlos López Estrada & Andrew Rothschild). Phew!
Twitter Handle: #DisneyWishMovie.
Running Time: 1h 35m.
Asha (Ariana DeBose) with Valentino the goat (Alan Tudyk) and Sabino (Victor Garber).. the very essence of Disney! (Sources: Disney).
“Wish” Review:
Positives:
- It seems very appropriate that for such a milestone Disney year, the company should produce something that is very “traditional” in nature. We have a book opening and closing at the start/end; we have a distant kingdom, Rosas, with a royal family; we have a young girl with dreams; we have talking animals; etc. Even the animation style, especially the backgrounds, hark back to some of the glory years of the 50’s and 60’s.
- The film is chock full of Disney Easter Eggs. As it’s fun to find them all yourself (some of which have only occurred to me, like a penny dropping, in writing this up), I won’t mention them here but flag some of those I noticed in a “Spoiler Section” after the trailer below.
- Asha makes for another excellent female role-model for young girls, full of grit and determination. She takes knocks (in the finale, literally), but gets up and comes again.
- Despite reservations about many of the songs, there was one standout for me…. a powerful tune with a revolutionary beat called “Knowing What I Know Now”. One for the Oscar nomination? Probably not…. like “Bruno”, Disney will probably pick the rather staid and vacuous “This Wish”.
- The end-title includes twinkly light representations of characters from many of the 61 previous Disney animated features. As a walkthrough of our own childhoods, our kid’s childhoods and now our grandkid’s childhoods, it’s a simple but moving tribute to the joy of Disney through the generations. It managed to bring the illustrious Mrs Movie Man to tears!
Negatives:
- I found the first half of the film slow and labourious. The pacing felt off with all the plot-heavy explanation of the wish-storage shenanigans and so on. It only really came alive in the second half, and I thought the emotional finale was very good.
- The script sometimes seemed to hint at directions never taken. For example, Asha is “about to turn 18” at which point the king takes her wish. I thought this was going to become a part of the plot, but never did. (Did anyone else have ‘un-Disney’ thoughts about the fact that the king had the right to take the key-essence of every teen the day they turned 18? No? Only me then!)
- Many of the songs rather left me cool…. they were all “fine” but few were very memorable. (I mean, I couldn’t have done any better!) The songs were by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice. But after the likes of Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda for “The Little Mermaid” and the “Frozen” team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, they feel a bit bland and under-powered. Maybe they’ll grow on me.
A Disney villain in the old tradition. Chris Pine, enjoying himself as King Magnifico. (Source: Disney).
Monkeys?
There is a rather cute post-credit ‘monkey‘. A brief instrumental musical item that plays over a short scene and then continues through a repeat of the “Disney 100” animated production logo.
Summary Thoughts on “Wish”
I had a really nice time in the cinema watching this. It’s Disney. On the big screen. What’s not to love? Was it the 100-year anniversary experience that Disney was angling for? Unfortunately no. But, as I am no-longer the target audience, I will point out that my granddaughter Eva is going to see it for the second time today. So it clearly has some young fans.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Wish”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyRxxpD3yNw .
Spoiler Section – – Disney Easter Eggs
There are probably many more I’ve forgotten and/or didn’t spot, but here are some of the Disney Easter Eggs that I spotted in the film:
- Bambi and Thumper turn up in the film;
- As Magnifico performs magic with his staff, there is a subliminal flash of the mirror from “Snow White”;
- A key theme of the film is “When you wish upon a star” from Pinnochio (the tune played by Sabato as the monkey)
- Sabato is obviously the essence of Disney itself: turning 100 years old, his wish is to “Entertain people”. (Very clever!)
- At the start of the film, Asha is being interviewed to be the king’s apprentice…. and the king is a sorceror… so she’s trying to be the sorceror’s apprentice!
- A clip from Peter Pan is showing as one of the dream elements;
- As the star takes control of a quill, you see it start to draw Mickey ears;
- …(we may extend this list as more come to mind! Or please comment with others you spotted!)
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