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Spoiler Alert
When the talents working for The House of the Mouse are more interested in introducing more princesses in their animated films than creating stories like Zootopia and Meet the Robinsons, my desire to see Disney’s Wish was not immediate. I’d rather wait for a presentation that’s very out there instead of by the book. And in what I found in this latest mostly celebrates 100 Years of Disney rather try to stand on its own.
I would’ve preferred to see a third movie along the lines of Fantasia to recognise just how old this studio is. Here, the creative team of writers Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore with directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn simply explore why the concept of “wishing upon a star” (which is only recognised in a handful of this studio’s films) is important. And when greed gets in the way, King Magnifico (Chris Pine) has to decide on why only one wish matters. This actor’s presence is the only reason I wanted to see this film.
Honestly, I didn’t find Asha (Ariana DeBose) all that interesting. She’s an okay focus for a movie that’s not sure whether to spend its time on her or the king. All I could think of was how this ruler is kind of like an evil djinn! Also, we don’t learn what the parameters are regarding whether people can wish for love or more wishes. Both are selfish desires, and thankfully, this work doesn’t move in that direction. All I can gather is that many people turn to magic to ask for something to improve the world they’re living in instead of working hard to make it happen themselves.
Most of the populace wants good things, but as for ill will, the yang is missing. Not even the darkness gets the light as some subplot. Without this aspect to balance out all the happy-go-lucky stuff going on, this story is lopsided. Although there’s more than meets the eye concerning why only the ruler of the realm can grant wishes, the explanations offered are not enough to advance this movie forward.
As for the show tunes, they just don’t hit the same level of meaning as Buck and Lee’s breakout work, Frozen. They did a phenomenal job with that movie, and it seems they have lost their touch. It may be because the studio interfered with their vision. All those Easter eggs referencing the past 100 years of Disney films was most likely too much.
After seeing this work, I feel I’m better off enjoying Aladdin instead.
3 Stars out of 5
Disney’s Wish Movie Trailer
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