Disney “Wish” Review: Lifeless!

Disney characters have been told since 1940, the release of Pinocchio, that if they wish upon a star all of their dreams will come true. Although this sentiment is very magical, Disney movies have proven over the years that it is really the will and determination of the characters that allow them to make even their most challenging wishes come true.

Disney’s new film Wish displays this concept as the origin story of the almighty star. In the kingdom of Rosas, seventeen year old Asha’s (Ariana DeBose) dream is to be the apprentice to powerful king Magnifico (Chris Pine). Every year a Wish Ceremony is held where one person gives their wish to Magnifico for safe keeping in hopes that one day he will grant their wish and it will come true. However, once one gives their wish up, they forget it entirely until it is granted. Asha soon realizes that wishes are a part of every individual and giving them up to Magnifico may be more dangerous then they would have ever imagined.

What seems like a decent enough premise turns out to be one of Disney’s poorest submissions in years. Wish takes the bare bones of a familiar story of princesses, royalty, and magic and decides to do absolutely nothing worthwhile with its premise. When dealing with a conventional fairy tale story, it allows filmmakers unlimited possibilities for lovable characters, twists, and even deep lessons that adults can admire. Wish decides to do none of these things and instead structure their plot where it is beyond apparent where they will insert their songs, who their “cute animals” will be, and the climatic “heartfelt” moment that doesn’t even live up to its sentiment.

The film feels like it is generated by artificial intelligence using their previous films as a blueprint. Just because audiences know that the star in the film will be utilized for years to come in the Disney canon doesn’t mean it is a given we will connect with the story. Believe it or not, the story must be developed to hit the audience’s emotions in a meaningful way, not just a given because of our already established connection with Disney tales.

The story of Wish is around a hundred years in the making so Disney putting their best foot forward for this story would make sense, given there are so many movies that feature this magical star. It becomes so much more apparent how weak this story is because it has so much riding on it. The credits of the film feature a number of old Disney character sketches in gold stencil, allowing the audience to reminisce about all the beloved tales and characters we have experienced over the years.

Enough so that it becomes obvious how much better old school Disney was then the content Disney is pushing out today. Wish is unfortunately another lifeless edition to Disney’s filmography in recent years and makes audiences wish that they would breathe life back into the company one day.

‘Wish (2023)’ Rating – 1.5/5

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