Capsule Review: Wish (2023)
Disney marks its 100th anniversary this year — October 16, to be exact — and what’s better than celebrating the studio’s illustrious history with a brand-new animated feature? The animation feature in question is the aptly titled Wish, which perfectly reflects the fairy-tale and magical storytelling that defines the studio in the first place. Well, I sure hope so because the last time I truly enjoyed a Disney animated feature was Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 and to a certain extent, Frozen II, which was released in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Co-directed by Chris Buck of the first two Frozen fame and Fawn Veerasunthorn, previously a head of story on Raya and the Last Drag0n before making her directorial debut, Wish tells a simple story that evokes the classic Disney template. Here, we have Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), a 17-year-old girl who lives in the Kingdom of Rosas ruled by King Magnifico (Chris Pine). The latter is also a sorcerer who keeps his citizens’ wishes in wish bubbles and he will grant them when the time comes.
Asha, who is looking forward to becoming King Magnifico’s apprentice, soon discovers something is not right about the king’s intention. She ends up wishing upon a star one night and her wish is somehow granted after a literal, cute and bright little Star shows up. Along with Asha’s pet goat, Valentino (Alan Tudyk) who can finally talk after the Star grants him his wish, the three join forces to stop King Magnifico from holding off everyone’s wishes.
Given the studio’s 100th anniversary, I was expecting something special here but Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore’s screenplay is mostly generic, lacking the much-needed solid storytelling prowess to turn this into an above-average effort. The songs are forgettable, even though I do enjoy the catchy opening beat of “Welcome to Rosas” and the anthemic “Knowing What I Know Now”.
Wish, however, is far from an outright disappointment. Buck and Veerasunthorn brilliantly incorporate the old-school 2D watercolour style with 3D animation, resulting in stunning, yet wonderfully nostalgic visuals. The movie is also filled with plenty of Easter eggs that fans of Disney animated features and even live-action films would enjoy identifying, covering the likes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to Bambi, Peter Pan and Mary Poppins.
The overall voice cast is top-notch, notably Ariana DeBose’s engaging lead performance as Asha. She isn’t your garden-variety Disney princess but more of a fiercely independent and sharp-witted idealist and DeBose is the perfect fit for the role. She also excels in her vocal talent and this shouldn’t come as a surprise after her scene-stealing performance in the West Side Story remake, which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Chris Pine is equally noteworthy in voicing the movie’s antagonist, King Magnifico while the rest of the cast, namely Victor Garber as Asha’s endearing grandfather Sabino and Harvey Guillén as the cynical Gabo deliver solid support.
Wish may have been not remembered as among the studio’s best films but at least, the stellar voice cast and visually striking animation make up for the lacklustre storytelling. Do remember not to leave your seats after the movie ends and stay back for the post-credits scene.
