The latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wish, faces some expectations that many animated films don’t often deal with. It carries the burden of being a celebration of Disney’s legacy in animation, being released on the studio’s centennial – the Disney company was founded on October 16th, 1923. The inspiration behind the film revolved around one of the most iconic Disney songs, “When You Wish Upon A Star,” from 1940’s Pinocchio. A tune so iconic, the melody used for the logo at the start of all their animated films. And on top of all that, it’s dedicated to Burny Mattinson, a legendary animator who has been involved with Disney from 1953 to his passing earlier this year.
Which makes it all the more baffling that this is the movie to come out of all that pressure. To say Wish feels soulless might be putting it too harsh, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a film that feels so nakedly reverse engineered into existence based on the needs of a corporate entity. It’s the kind of film where at no point could you imagine anyone organically coming up with the story by pure imagination. It is just a cold product that checks all the necessary boxes that would satisfy shareholders, with almost no other regard to the artistry that has defined the Disney legacy. Not that Disney’s legacy is something I’m especially invested in, but hey, if you’re gonna evoke that, you better know what you’re doing.
What is Wish about? Like many Disney fairytales, we begin with a storybook in the opening moments that give us a highlight to the origin of Rosas, a kingdom founded by Magnifico (Chris Pine), who now rules with his wife Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral). King Magnifico isn’t just any king though, he is a sorcerer who has the ability to grant wishes. As a ritual, every resident upon turning 18 “gives up” their wish to Magnifico who takes them in the form of these magical spheres that he keeps hidden in his castle. And once a month, a ceremony is held where he grants on of the residents their wish.
One of those is Sabino (Victor Garber), the grandfather of 17 year old Asha (Ariana DeBose), who is turning 100 years old at the start of the film. His birthday also coincides with an interview that Asha has with King Magnifico to be his apprentice. Unfortunately, the interview does not go smoothly, and her image of this protective and honorable king has been soured. As he admits to not granting some wishes because they can be vague and potentially be or lead to something harmful down the line. Frustrated by this revelation, Asha wishes upon a star, and sure enough, a cute little Star comes along. But when the Star makes its magical presence known, it puts a target on Asha’s back that forces King Magnifico to turn to dark magic in order to keep his grip on the kingdom.
So…yeah. I’m sure you have many questions. Why would people go to a place where they literally give up their dreams? What do they do with their lives when they have no dreams? How does that affect the youth? Is this something that people generally support? If so, why? Have they reconciled that personal compromise with the fact that the kingdom is very well run with no obvious socio-economic issues? Hell, let’s forget about the world-building, and focus on the things that ultimately matter. Who exactly is Asha? What is her wish? What are her goals and ambitions outside of just wanting the best for her friends and family?
The film is helmed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, with a screenplay credited to Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore. These aren’t minor names, these are folks who have proven to tell great stories before. So, it’s very odd that the writing in this feels so empty and frivolous. Even previous films from Disney with questionable world-building like Zootopia or Pixar’s Elemental earlier this year at least tried to have some semblance of consistent internal logic with an otherwise stronger focus on character. Here, both of these are totally out of whack, and only invite many puzzling questions that the film has little interest in answering.
One of the biggest issues is with King Magnifico. He has little motivation in being a villain. His backstory provides some nuance that the film doesn’t ever follow through on. His family fell victim to raiders, leaving him without a home at a young age, which got him to learning sorcery as a way to build his own kingdom, one that is meant to be a safe space for anyone of any background. So, how one goes from that to being as paranoid and maniacal as he eventually becomes, I have no idea, and the film doesn’t offer much insight as to why he has this major change in character.
It’s unfortunate because there are some good qualities here. The voice work is really solid. Ariana DeBose does a wonderful job at giving a very lively and charming performance as a modern Disney heroine, Chris Pine does some a commendable job despite the material, and there’s a couple catchy songs. The aesthetics of the film are very interesting, combining modern 3D animation with the watercolor background look you would see in many classic 2D animated films. Admittedly, it does make some moments look like a more polished version of the animation in those video games by Telltale Games. But for the most part, it is visually splendid, and the unique approach does a good job at honoring Disney’s past and present.
Disney has had its share of letdowns before, but few have felt this disappointing. I’m far from being a “Disney Adult,” but I think there is a lot to admire about the legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the work they have put into the form over the past 100 years. So, to promote this film as the culmination of all that, complete with various references and callbacks to older classics, it is shocking just how much this feels like a total fumble. In a vacuum, it’s mostly just forgettable more than anything else, and ultimately pretty harmless. It’s not especially funny or touching enough to leave an impression. I’ve had more serious issues with other Disney films, but I at least respect many of those works because it feels like there was an attempt; there was genuine effort from a group of artists, as opposed to feeling like you’re watching respectable artists being commissioned by a bunch of suits who don’t have a creative bone in their body to deliver content by deadline so that a couple numbers on the bottom line can have a minor uptick by the end of the quarter. I don’t know, man…I definitely have seen worse films this year, but none were quite as depressing as this.
Wish is now out in theaters.