Wish (2023)
There is no denying that over the last number of years, Disney has faced a rough period of releases. Outside of the highly celebrated Encanto, Disney has faced a series of disappointing both critically and commercially as a widening field of animated features and key disappointments have led to the company losing the hearts and wallets of many once faithful fans. Again, however, Walt Disney Animation Studios steps up to the plate to bat with their 62nd feature release, Wish. Also taking the honor of being the studios' single feature release during their 100th anniversary of being founded as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923, Wish transports audiences to the fantastical kingdom of Rosas. Ruled by the magical King Magnifico (Chris Pine), Rosas is a city where dreams can come true, for a select few.
Using his magic, King Magnifico has his subjects give up their most important wish once they turn 18, turning it into a physical object that he can store, a process that also rids the individual of their memory of what the wish even was. Once in a while, King Magnifico will use his powers to grant one of the wishes which he selects while the rest patiently wait their turn. 17-year-old Asha (Ariana DeBose) is hoping to become Magnifico's apprentice and possibly convince him to grant her grandfather's wish for his 100th birthday, but sees a new side to Magnifico's power. Only selecting wishes he deems appropriate to maintain his control over Rosas and leaving the rest of the wishes to wait, never to be granted, Asha turns on Magnifico. With the help of not just her friends but also a living star that comes down to Earth once Asha wishes on it, she plots a plan to take down Magnifico and save the dreams of those she loves.
While Disney's recent narrative of being lackluster in releases feels somewhat exaggerated and disappointing, political debate largely led to attacks given towards Strange World which actually stands as one of the more creative and worthwhile narratives of the company recently, Wish feels deserving of nearly every criticism and complaint cast against it. A disappointing mess that is torn between standing on its own and celebrating the efforts of the studio it belongs to, in incredibly backwards and confusing ways, the film feels cheap and shallow leading to one of the lesser Disney features to come from the last century of releases.
The problems begin right away before a single line of dialogue is even spoken. Disney has never been afraid to embrace new animation styles, but often has to work through a few rough drafts before they find their groove. From the lesser efforts released due to World War II to the implantation of CGI in the early 2000s, Disney has made swings before only to come up quite short. Wish sadly falls right into this category as one of the cheapest looking Disney films made in years. Trying to find a new blend between the look of hand-drawn animation while using computer animation, the end result is disastrous. Not only does the look feel amateur, but conceptually it accomplishes nothing. If the studio wanted to celebrate their hand-drawn roots, why wouldn't they put in the effort and resources to simply make the film hand-drawn? The studio has proved to be capable with the release of 2011's Winnie the Pooh, and has even teased that the style could come back for other features. For those who point to the process taking longer and being more expensive, it is important to remember that it is Disney behind the project. If there ever was a time to put in the extra work and money, the 100th anniversary seems like as good of a time as any.
Make no mistake that Wish is, first and foremost, designed as a celebration of this anniversary. While one might at first feel a more subtle hint of this influence with the narrative surrounding the importance of dreams and wonder, the film quickly falls apart as it attempts to shove references and comedically direct ties to Disney canon into the film in a way that feels so artificial and forced that it is genuinely laughable at points. There is no sense of awareness or craft within this identity which doesn't even add up beyond a mindless acceptance of the emotions being presented. Somewhat similar to Tim Burton's remake of Dumbo that included narratives that could be read as attacking Disney's business decisions and presence, Wish falls apart when one truly considers what role the studio has played in promoting creative freedom and supporting the dreams of the animation industry.
Disney is not some young rebel trying to fight for the freedom of all, Disney is the old monopoly fighting for specific and crafted displays of creativity and heart with a specific calculation for how that display will impact the company financially and socially. While Disney might have once stood for displays of true creativity and wonder as they pushed through and created the world of western animation, there is no chance one could build a similar statement for the company now, outside of course of the studio themselves who would love to give themselves a pat on the back. The celebration within Wish is inauthentic and meaningless as a result that it threatens to sour the entire perception of the studio who clearly should have just stuck to the more low-key and successful acknowledgment found in their short, Once Upon a Studio which was also released this year.
Even beyond this display of clear masturbatory celebration, the film is still awful. Taking the most simplistic and dull move at every turn, the film completely buries its own potential. Within the character of King Magnifico is a naturally compelling question surrounding the role of a leader. Magnifico, at least at the start the feature, doesn't look to actively harm his subjects with his choices but rather looks to protect them. He sees the danger associated with some wishes and wants to do everything he can to keep his citizens safe in the padded cell he has created with Rosas. It feels rather obvious to take this motivation and find a deeper message surrounding having faith in people and their dreams to do the right thing, but the film doesn't even try to have this conversation and almost immediately turns Magnifico into a bland and generic villain.
The comedy of the film is equally lackluster. Asha and her friends are often more annoying than charming with Alan Tudyk's role as Asha's comedic sidekick, a goat named Valentino who is granted the ability to talk, being another massive low-point. These characters are not fun to be around and their adventure is never worthwhile to experience leading to a viewing experience with not a single thing that truly works. For only coming in at 95-minutes, the film feels tortuous to get through with the only brief moments of joy being felt from laughing at the film and its failures rather than anything intentional.
While this fate is tragic for any film, for it to fall on Disney's own attempt at a 100th celebration is one of the most embarrassing cinematic displays seen in the last decade. While both Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, the co-directors behind the film, have proven to be able to produce strong work in the past, there are fundamental errors made with the core identity of Wish that condemn the film to its dark fate. For anyone looking to feel the magic of Disney, there are at least 50 better options available on Disney+.
Using his magic, King Magnifico has his subjects give up their most important wish once they turn 18, turning it into a physical object that he can store, a process that also rids the individual of their memory of what the wish even was. Once in a while, King Magnifico will use his powers to grant one of the wishes which he selects while the rest patiently wait their turn. 17-year-old Asha (Ariana DeBose) is hoping to become Magnifico's apprentice and possibly convince him to grant her grandfather's wish for his 100th birthday, but sees a new side to Magnifico's power. Only selecting wishes he deems appropriate to maintain his control over Rosas and leaving the rest of the wishes to wait, never to be granted, Asha turns on Magnifico. With the help of not just her friends but also a living star that comes down to Earth once Asha wishes on it, she plots a plan to take down Magnifico and save the dreams of those she loves.
While Disney's recent narrative of being lackluster in releases feels somewhat exaggerated and disappointing, political debate largely led to attacks given towards Strange World which actually stands as one of the more creative and worthwhile narratives of the company recently, Wish feels deserving of nearly every criticism and complaint cast against it. A disappointing mess that is torn between standing on its own and celebrating the efforts of the studio it belongs to, in incredibly backwards and confusing ways, the film feels cheap and shallow leading to one of the lesser Disney features to come from the last century of releases.
The problems begin right away before a single line of dialogue is even spoken. Disney has never been afraid to embrace new animation styles, but often has to work through a few rough drafts before they find their groove. From the lesser efforts released due to World War II to the implantation of CGI in the early 2000s, Disney has made swings before only to come up quite short. Wish sadly falls right into this category as one of the cheapest looking Disney films made in years. Trying to find a new blend between the look of hand-drawn animation while using computer animation, the end result is disastrous. Not only does the look feel amateur, but conceptually it accomplishes nothing. If the studio wanted to celebrate their hand-drawn roots, why wouldn't they put in the effort and resources to simply make the film hand-drawn? The studio has proved to be capable with the release of 2011's Winnie the Pooh, and has even teased that the style could come back for other features. For those who point to the process taking longer and being more expensive, it is important to remember that it is Disney behind the project. If there ever was a time to put in the extra work and money, the 100th anniversary seems like as good of a time as any.
Make no mistake that Wish is, first and foremost, designed as a celebration of this anniversary. While one might at first feel a more subtle hint of this influence with the narrative surrounding the importance of dreams and wonder, the film quickly falls apart as it attempts to shove references and comedically direct ties to Disney canon into the film in a way that feels so artificial and forced that it is genuinely laughable at points. There is no sense of awareness or craft within this identity which doesn't even add up beyond a mindless acceptance of the emotions being presented. Somewhat similar to Tim Burton's remake of Dumbo that included narratives that could be read as attacking Disney's business decisions and presence, Wish falls apart when one truly considers what role the studio has played in promoting creative freedom and supporting the dreams of the animation industry.
Disney is not some young rebel trying to fight for the freedom of all, Disney is the old monopoly fighting for specific and crafted displays of creativity and heart with a specific calculation for how that display will impact the company financially and socially. While Disney might have once stood for displays of true creativity and wonder as they pushed through and created the world of western animation, there is no chance one could build a similar statement for the company now, outside of course of the studio themselves who would love to give themselves a pat on the back. The celebration within Wish is inauthentic and meaningless as a result that it threatens to sour the entire perception of the studio who clearly should have just stuck to the more low-key and successful acknowledgment found in their short, Once Upon a Studio which was also released this year.
Even beyond this display of clear masturbatory celebration, the film is still awful. Taking the most simplistic and dull move at every turn, the film completely buries its own potential. Within the character of King Magnifico is a naturally compelling question surrounding the role of a leader. Magnifico, at least at the start the feature, doesn't look to actively harm his subjects with his choices but rather looks to protect them. He sees the danger associated with some wishes and wants to do everything he can to keep his citizens safe in the padded cell he has created with Rosas. It feels rather obvious to take this motivation and find a deeper message surrounding having faith in people and their dreams to do the right thing, but the film doesn't even try to have this conversation and almost immediately turns Magnifico into a bland and generic villain.
The comedy of the film is equally lackluster. Asha and her friends are often more annoying than charming with Alan Tudyk's role as Asha's comedic sidekick, a goat named Valentino who is granted the ability to talk, being another massive low-point. These characters are not fun to be around and their adventure is never worthwhile to experience leading to a viewing experience with not a single thing that truly works. For only coming in at 95-minutes, the film feels tortuous to get through with the only brief moments of joy being felt from laughing at the film and its failures rather than anything intentional.
While this fate is tragic for any film, for it to fall on Disney's own attempt at a 100th celebration is one of the most embarrassing cinematic displays seen in the last decade. While both Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, the co-directors behind the film, have proven to be able to produce strong work in the past, there are fundamental errors made with the core identity of Wish that condemn the film to its dark fate. For anyone looking to feel the magic of Disney, there are at least 50 better options available on Disney+.