Wish – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Wish – A Shooting Star of Familiar Dreams

With experience, we always begin with an escape.  With those initial steps, the journey slowly forms within what we see and hear with circumstance.  When it comes to film, that innate feeling helps build that escape to feel real and genuine.  For the audience, no matter what tropes are used, it all leads to the foremost question … is it worth the experience.  In this review, I look at the latest Disney animated film.  Within a potential of new things becomes a journey of familiarity.  For all the predictable aspects, Wish is a fun experience that showcases the simple threads of a fairytale. 

The story follows Asha (Voiced: Ariana DeBose), a young girl of hope and wishful things.  When her world is threatened, will her lasting wish ever come true?  When it comes to Disney animated stories, there are common threads that become the foundation for the journey.  Within any tale, you always have a main character ‘faced’ with a personal cause.  With this latest Disney entry, we come into the world through the drop-in method, witnessing how Asha and her family live on the Island of Rosa.  On this island, people live a ‘peaceful life’ with a catch.  Within this somber sense of being worry free, they must give up their undying wish to the King of Rosa, Magnifico (Voiced: Chris Pine).  In this first act, there is a layering of potential story threads that are masked within common Disney tropes.  Through the colorful CGI and unique character introductions, we see the potential of the tale’s heart within the generalities of expected detail.  After a few sequences, Asha heads to be ‘interviewed’ as an apprentice to Magnifico but learns the truth about his powers and the wishes.  After another sequence of colorful visuals and song(s), we head into a second act that pushes Asha down that ‘personal cause’: making a wish upon a star and working towards unmasking Magnifico’s villainy to the world.  From this point, the journey becomes a roller coaster ride of genuine appeal entrapped by the common Disney tropes.  The overshadowing of the potential character’s journey leads to a story that becomes more style over substance.

As Asha’s journey continues to waver between thematic appeal and Disney tropes, the heart of certain characters helps push through the stylistic methods.  With nothing more than a fool’s hope, the genuine methods start to shine (a bit) providing true catalyst against the archetypal story.  With everything on the line for Asha (and Rosa), we head into a third act of strong animated sequences of dreams, hope and self-sacrifice.  With one more song, we build towards the common epic ‘fairytale’ climax and ‘happily ever after’ epilogue.  Wish is a Disney animated tale of mixed results.  If you are a fan of Disney animated stories or fairytales, there is fun to be had (in this film).  I think there is enough for a good family time at theaters … at the right price.       

Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)