Wish (II) (2023) User Reviews

Sub-par Disney animation filled with recycled themes and characters

[mvdb2004 · 5/10 · 26 December 2023]

I had high hopes for this movie. After the box office flop 'Strange World', which looked loud and unappealing and most of all very un-Disney, it seemed this movie was going to be a return to form. It even promised the return of the great Disney villain, a concept strangely abandoned by the studio for almost a decade (preferring 'twist villains' or no villains instead).

Sadly, the return of the villain is the only real benefit of this movie. For what it is, it's not terrible per se, but all is wholly forgettable, from the music to the animation to the characters. I'd say the latter is the most problematic aspect of 'Wish'. Asha is the most unoriginal, uninspired protagonist of any Disney movie. Even annoying leads in a Disney picture leave an impression, like the cows in 'Home On The Range'. Asha, on the other hand, not only looks like an identical twin of recent heroïnes like Anna, Mirabel and Rapunzel (the latter of whom she resembles most) but also acts like them. It's the exact same 'quirky awkward nervous teen girl' all over again without a shred of uniqueness that would make her a recognizable character of her own.

It's hard to root for a heroïne as empty and shallow as that. Especially when the villain's objectives are equally as empty and shallow. He wants power over people because... he wants power over people? The story is severely lacking. You would expect more from Disney's outing in its 100th birthyear, but it basically boils down to something as banal as 'he has the wishes and she wants to give the wishes back'. It's not a very exciting proposition and there's not much you can do with such a bare bones simplistic story. Which I guess is where all the padding comes from. And by god, is it terrible.

None of the goat's lines are funny. He's clearly meant as the funny sidekick but he didn't make me laugh even once. Nor did any of the other side characters, who are even more bland than Asha. Does anyone remember any joke from the movie that cracked a smile for them? I found the humor very much aimed at little kids, but then again I would say most of this movie is aimed at little kids. Even the animation looks like a saturday morning cartoon. It had a lot of potential, the blend of 2D with 3D. I will give the movie this: at least it looks different than the other Disney computer animated movies, the way handdrawn movies looked different (compare, say, 'Atlantis' to 'Lilo & Stitch').

The most underwhelming aspect of this movie were the songs. Most of them are pointless, the lyrics are laughably weak and they fail to illuminate important plot points (as is customary in Disney musicals). I found them sadly unimaginative, not catchy or memorable, and with the villain song I was even hoping it would be over soon, that's how bad that one was. I also dislike the modern pop sound the songs had, which is jarring when shoehorned into a supposed fairytale. It makes you long for the days of the Disney Renaissance.

All in all, 'Wish' is not the worst Disney movie by a long shot and it's wholly unoffensive and it had some potential but that potential was never realized. As it stands, it's a pretty mediocre film that serves as babysitter material on Disney+ but can't stand alongside the Classics of (even the recent) past.

I Wish this Movie was Better

[nicolemanimefan · 6/10 · 22 November 2023]

Disney's 100th celebration falls flat with "Wish," a film that struggles to maintain its own identity in the beloved Disney animated canon.

Unfortunately the problem with the film is the story is so underdeveloped and poorly executed. There are no stakes and the end result is a muddled theme, uneven pacing, and boring, flat characters. The film attempts to pay homage to older Disney classics and all the ingredients are there: lovable characters, a menacing, tongue-in cheek villain, cute animal sidekicks, and interesting concepts; but instead of "showing" the character beats like older films, we are "told" the story through bland dialogue and little action. Asha joins Disney's recent line of uninspiring "adorkable" female protagonists, with no defining motivations or character growth. This quirky, clumsy character archetype for Disney princesses has been recycled for the past decade with Rapunzel, Anna, Moana, and Mirabel. The animation and sound don't fair better, with bland, pop-y music that feels like filler and a combination of animation styles that look unpolished. There is no "Be Our Guest," "Part of your World," "Let it Go" or "We Don't Talk about Bruno".

It's laughable that one of the lyrics to the song "I'm a Star" in the movie is "in this universe we are all shareholders." Wish remains harmless entertainment for families but is a painful reminder of what this film sets out to do: please investors. This film is a rushed, soulless, by the numbers paint-job with no innovation in storytelling or animation. A massive disappointment to Disney's legacy and a poor excuse for their 100th animated film.

Ignore the high ratings

[pank-74427 · 5/10 · 24 November 2023]

Yet another disappointment. Not a bad movie, but surely not a good one either. Even kids at the cinema were bored and almost none laughed throughout the movie, except just a handful of times. The plot was literally what you see on the trailer, there is no twist, nothing exciting to keep you interested, it was as bare bones as it could get. Nothing stood out, from the characters to the songs, it was from those movies you forget you watched after a month! It had too many references to old Disney movies, which got tiring after a while and the plot was rushed. I have no words, Disney was known for having great stories for the entire family to gather and enjoy, but now it's just generic and boring. I think it's time for Bob Iger to retire.

Cute message, but doesn't quite live up to the Disney standard.

[tarynabryant · 6/10 · 22 November 2023]

I saw this with my boyfriend tonight because it was discount tuesday at the movies and we both enjoy a good Disney flick. While there are some cute moments, overall it just wasn't that great of a film. The plot was weak, didn't have a lot of likable characters, villain is kind of random, humor didn't land, the songs were meh for the most part, and the payoff just wasn't there. I didn't care for the overused "im so awkward and quirky" trope on the main character. Also, while I typically love Disney songs, a lot of the songs/lyrics felt super verbose. I read one review that said the songs sounded like they were generated using AI, and while I don't know if that's necessarily true, I can definitely see what they mean. Kids will like it, it's a decent family movie, but it's not anything I need to watch twice. In my opinion, Disney has set a pretty high standard with its past films (Ratatouille, Tangled, Cars, the list goes on and on) and this one doesn't even come close to that standard. Onward is way better than Wish, maybe check that one out instead if you haven't already and are in the mood for a Disney movie. Just my opinion! My bf and I both give this one a 6.5/10.

Had its moments, but overall a bit meh

[Ozian-Girl · 6/10 · 27 December 2023]

I enjoyed the songs, but they didn't capture my attention the way Encanto's did. The story was a bit dull and all over the place. I tried to keep expectations low, and while I liked it, I didn't love it like I did Raya and the last dragon, Encanto, or the other recent Disney films. I feel maybe they spent too much time giving nods to classic films, rather than making the story more interesting.

The style was ok, but I agree it looked like early 2000's dreamworks. Not 2D enough like Princess and the frog, and not 3D enough like the more recent films.

Ralph Breaks the Internet was a better nod to classic Disney than this film.

Disney meets ChatGPT

[senexbarbatus · 4/10 · 25 November 2023]

Every element of this movie feels like it was generated by a lackluster AI program.

The heroine has no apparent drive or motivations outside of the immediate plot, and has the same cute but generic "adorkable" vibe as Rapunzel, Anna, Moana, and Mirabel. She's enough of a cypher to let anyone put themselves in her place.

The villain is a blandly handsome king whose motivations boil down to "worship me" and "more power." He lacks the complexity of Frollo or Gothel, and the charisma of Scar or Ursula. He's empty enough that you can imagine him as an analogue for whatever politician you dislike.

The supporting cast was a pile of generic stock characters. Ably enough acted, but utterly forgettable. None were developed enough to be interesting.

The music is lively, but instantly forgettable. After Frozen, Tangled, and Moana, my kids sang garbled toddler versions of the songs on the ride home. After Wish? Nothing. Not even a hum.

The art was interesting. The watercolor-ish style worked for the backgrounds, and captured some of the feel of classic Disney films. But the characters seemed crudely pasted atop the background. More than any recent Disney film, you could FEEL the computers behind the animation.

The plot was uninspired. There were a handful of places where the writers could have taken different paths, and asked interesting questions about the nature of power and responsibility, but they abandoned them in favor of a one-dimensional and utterly predictable story.

Even the worst flops in the Disney archives had something going for them. Brother Bear was beautiful, Home on the Range was funny, and Dinosaur was a technological leap forward. Wish has nothing. Was it terrible? No. Was it memorable? Definitely not. Will anyone bother to see it more than once? I doubt it.

Ignore the low ratings....

[Dadjokes17 · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

To give this movie a "1" or a "3" is ridiculous. Maybe you should ask yourself whether you should be going to an animated kids movie if you find them so offensive or boring. The movie is not great by any means but it has a good message, entertaining action, and decent music. It is not scary for young kids. It also pays homage to many great Disney films of the past. It's not particularly groundbreaking but not every Disney movie will be. The kids in the audience, mine included, loved it. And let's be clear, that's what really matters. Not grown adults whining about how Disney movies use to be better...

Another Disney flop.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 4/10 · 8 December 2023]

As a 100th anniversary celebration, this was seriously below par, given Disney's recent, dreary output, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was woeful.

It felt as though they'd borrowed bits of Disney classics, and bolted them together as a kind of eco friendly Frankenstein. It doesn't manage to spark into life, arguably the most forgettable Disney characters to date.

I've read several comments about the animation, and plenty seem to applaud the style, quality and colours, let me be honest, this sucks, the most basic and unimaginative animation I think I've seen, to me it looks unfinished, did they get it out in a rush, or were there budget cuts, this isn't Disney standard, let alone a Centenary special.

I genuinely fear for Disney, everything they're touching seems to be going to pot, they need a major shake up, Snow White doesn't look like a classic, where do Disney go from this?

Woeful.

4/10.

Not that bad but deserved to be better

[Taigan · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

I think a lot of the hate for this movie is overblown. It's not the best thing Disney has done but it's far from the worst.

Getting the negatives out of the way: despite the fairy tale setting, all the characters talk and act very modern. The second song ("At All Costs") really feels like they went Jukebox Musical for a bit as it's only tangentially connected with what's happening on screen. In fact all the songs have the weird quality that, while they sound good in themselves, they don't feel like they're from the same movie. For celebrating Disney's 100 years, I wish they'd included at least some traditional animation.

But here's why I can't hate this film: I love the subtext of it. It's all about rebellion against stifling authority. And how the combined strength of the many can overcome even the most powerful evils. The defeat of the villain was one of my favorite moments of Disney in years. I just wish the movie lead up to it better.

Perhaps it being the 100th anniversary movie put to many demands on it. So many little references to past movies went over my head while watching it. Even the obvious one of each of Asha's friends being a reference to one of the seven dwarfs. Maybe if they'd let the film be its own thing and not a celebration of all that had come before it would have been better.

I recommend it. But don't set your expectations too high.

A sad realization of what Disney movies have come to be

[isaacsundaralingam · 4/10 · 25 November 2023]

There was once a time not so long ago, when the word 'Disney' in an animated project meant so much; a great storytelling experience was guaranteed and a masterpiece was always possible. But as of late, each Disney project has come to feel like a rehash of every other Disney project; slowly killing any amount of excitement one might have looking forward to each new project.

Wish is no different and is as every bit forgettable and uninspiring as people are accusing it of being. If there's anything worth remembering though, it would have to be the watercolor-esque art style, but not even that justifies the movie's existence. Wish lacks depth and is painfully a face-value movie. It has a Disney-protagonist, a Disney-antagonist, a Disney-merch mascot, some Disney-music, and well yea, that's about it.

The question though, is if kids would enjoy it. After all, that's who the movie is primarily aimed at. And the answer might be 'yes', but probably at a level no different than how they might enjoy say Cocomelon or something. There's nothing magical that might stand out and nothing that might inspire. It's yet another Disney showcase of good animation with less than nothing else to accommodate.

Better than people are saying it is!

[mishahaynie · 8/10 · 22 November 2023]

Disney's newest feature animated film celebrates their 100th-year anniversary! A lot of people have been criticizing this movie upon its release, saying it's overly generic and not as original as hoped for in celebrating 100 years of the Walt Disney Company. However, I think it's very good! Yes, there are some cookie-cutter and generic elements in the film, but it's not entirely a carbon copy of previous Disney films.

The antagonist in this movie is revealed rather quickly; even from the very beginning, you know who the bad guy is and have a sense of how it will unfold. But I wouldn't say it's entirely unoriginal, as I've been hearing from many people. True, there are typical Disney songs with castles, kings, queens, and people making wishes upon a star, but I believe people have been overly critical due to recent disappointments with how the company has been managing things.

Yes, I agree Disney hasn't been doing so well lately, but I don't think this movie is a bad addition to their tremendously successful catalog. I believe this movie truly holds the essence of emphasizing the importance of having wishes in your life but, more importantly, taking the necessary steps for your dreams to come true.

There's been a lot of discussion about Disney's increased diversity in their cast nowadays, but I think it was a good fit for the new film. There were parts of this movie that honestly made me very emotional and pleased with its meaning and message because I've struggled in life to keep my dreams alive and well.

Sure, there are talking animals and other Disney-esque elements thrown in, but the movie's meaning is what truly matters, and I think that's what people have been forgetting. I highly recommend people see this movie and not heed all the negativity. It's a good, clean, wholesome, and emotional family film that kids and everyone will enjoy, with meaningful and important messages about being honest with your dreams and never giving up on what you truly wish to become and more! Definitely check it out this holiday season!

Not the best but the magic is still there

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 25 November 2023]

As a culmination of celebrating a hundred years of one the biggest studios ever, Wish doesn't compete with the classics it's constantly referencing. It is a really fun animated adventure that has all the greatest hits of a Disney animated movie whilst trying something new visually. Also it's just quite funny to see a Disney movie so clearly about unionising.

Ariana DeBose is a phenomenal singer and in between ballads she brings a lot of endearing awkwardness and determination to Asha. Chris Pine revels in playing a proper Disney villain. No redeeming qualities, constantly sinking lower complimented by a great song that allows him to use an asset that's so rarely utilised.

Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn greatest creative swing is the new animation style. It's probably the weakest out of all the recent ones that responded to Spider-verse but its storybook come to life approach still has lots of beauty to it whilst maintaining hints of the previous 3-D animation that dominated for so long.

Like the rest of the film, the songs here are good without ever living up to the classics, they don't even really compete with something a lot more recent like Encanto. There's a couple that are pretty forgettable and three that are definitely a lot stronger so overall it's a majority positive success rate.

Wish has terrible writing and gives off a terrible message.

[mbbpkgf · 3/10 · 24 November 2023]

First few minutes I was interested. The idea of everyone having a wish seems dangerous. So I sympathized with the villain. I expected the struggle to grant everyone's wishes would lead to undesired outcome that the girl would have to fix. In doing so becoming the villain herself as her selfishness would have brought disaster and I thought the king would be proved right and the girl's selfishness would lead to the king sacrificing himself to save everyone. Teaching the girl a lesson about stealing and maintain order. It would have been a good twist if the initial villain ended up being the good guy after all and the girls action would make her the villain. Then there could have been a redemption arc for her in the final act. The Star could have been some type of neutral being that ended up becoming evil due to all the negative wishes overpowering the good wishes. Then there could have been that one pure heart wish that overpowered all the bad wishes and restoring the stars position to either neutral or good. The premise was there. It could have been so good. But none of that happened.

In this movie the girl is perfect she cannot do any wrong. She has no hero's journey. Everyone in the story is perfect except the main villain and he wouldn't have been corrupted if not for the girls actions. What she did to him was basically entrapment. I lesson I got from this movie is stealing is ok if it's for family. No one is capable of making bad wishes. Which is not true. If I was or anyone had the power to grant wishes we too would be worried about handing out wishes like candy. I think any one with common sense would know how dangerous that can be. What ever happened to the old school Disney movies That had consequences for your actions. Those were some real lessons. The queens actions in the end are criminal. The king never imprisoned any one. He never robbed them of their freedom but she did. She basically sentenced him to die. For guarding wishes.

The star thing was cute tho. That thing is going to sell merchandise. The animation was good. The songs won't be classics. They're forgettable. The only characters that have good design are the king and the star.

Should Have Been Great

[beckystodd · 6/10 · 28 November 2023]

Disney had a great story, with a beautiful message to share; Don't depend on anyone else to make your wishes and dreams come true, you can make them happen.

This premise alone beautifully encompasses Disney's origins. The talent was great and despite the complaints, the retro animation style was very well done. Unfortunately, these are the strongest aspects of this movie.

Most of the songs felt forced and weak, but that isn't what prevented this movie from being absolutely brilliant. The problem? Disney was so focused on paying homage to past movies, and inserting easter eggs throughout the movie, they forgot to take care of the story and give it the attention it deserves. Magnifico went bad way to quickly, and it felt the purpose of this was to emulate all the past villains. There were strange animal character inclusions whose sole purpose appeared to pay homage to past characters. There were character references inserted throughout that felt misplaced and actually interfered with the pace of the movie. The star also seemed a little misplaced at times; a little "TV cartoon" for a movie and was, at times, distracting.

They should have just told the story in the beautiful way Disney is known for. They final scene with Saba was all that was needed to pay homage to Walt's legacy and celebrate 100 years.

Did I like the movie? Yes. Did I love it? No, and that is a shame, because it should have been so easy to love.

Wish was not as bad as people say, see Wish's message

[junoqv · 6/10 · 7 April 2024]

"A disney flop". I've heard complaints about the animation for being "lazy". And yes, it's another style compared to Frozen or Brave, a little more flatter. But I think they still delivered the message. Besides, I also liked the soundtracks a lot.

Maybe for kids the movie's story/main plot is a bit far stretched or "complicated" but from an older perspective I can see what they wanted to say and I think it's a beautiful message. My interpretation of it is simply what was said in the movie, that the king took away his people's humanity to be able to control them. And I think the people being "stars" was a beautiful way of showing humans standing together against a "government" that doesn't care for all the individuals. It matches the state of the real world. The people who's hearts resemble stars are fighting for freedom and happiness, it's something we see now in real life and I think it's beautiful how they mirrored that in the movie. We won't let someone take control and make sure our wishes don't come true because our deep wishes is what makes us whole and keeps us striving.

I agree that the animation itself lacked something but I see the potential. I was happily surprised when the movie, in my opinion, turned out to be much better than I heard it would. Wish has a nice and touching message.

Being the 100th Anniversary movie for Disney, it was forgettable

[chenp-54708 · 3/10 · 22 November 2023]

In the past few years, I haven't really been big with Disney's recent animated movies as while I did like "Soul" and "Raya and the Last Dragon", the other works like "Luca, Encanto, Lightyear, Strange World, Elemental and Turning Red" I wasn't really big on. "Wish", being the 100th Anniversary for Disney, manages to be bland and boring at its best.

Throughout, the animation is solid as there are some good colors, solid structures and designs. There are some good musical instrumental backgrounds as well. I do appreciate that the story isn't based on a sequel, remake or something that already exists and Disney tries to introduce new characters and settings. But the issue is that the narrative is way too familiar from other stories and it lacks the creativity, energy and charm of the good old Disney princess movies which makes it pretty difficult to fully engage with emotionally or to care for. The lack of energy and bland style causes the characters to not be investing as well since none of the characters were engaging or interesting at all. However, the voice performances from the cast members are pretty good. Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine both provided really good voice performances. Including Alan Tudyk as Tudyk is great as usual with his voice works.

The animation, as I mentioned, it's solid as the design models, colors, and movements are pretty good. With the animation using a mix of computer and watercolor, there are some really nice moments but admittedly, there were some animated movements or looks that felt odd, bland and slightly distracting. The dialogue is pretty clunky, the direction was boring, and the singing or musical moments, despite one or two songs being not too bad, the singing and song-writing wasn't good as some of the sound felt like it was written from AI. Like some of the voice and singing sound effects were pretty off. And as a whole, it was mostly boring.

For this being the 100th Anniversary movie for Disney, it's quite embarrassing since there could have been any other movie that could have been pretty fun and all but it seemed Disney decided to go with the bland route.

Overall, children and families will be entertained but this one is definitely one of Disney's weaker movies.

Don't trust the naysayers. "Wish" is a loving tribute to Disney's 100 years of magic.

[andrewtisler-50684 · 3 May 2024]

Disney has been around for 100 years now, and what better way to celebrate than with a movie dedicated to their very existence as a major company? And that movie is Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wish". Although people are complaining too much about the movie, I would beg to differ. I actually liked the movie a lot, and not just because I'm a big Disney nerd. So in this movie, a teenager named Asha, who lives in the Kingdom of Rosas, wishes on a star, which then comes down from the sky and assists her, her pet goat Valentino, and her friends Dahlia, Safi, Bazeema, Gabo, Dario, Hal, and Simon in combating against King Magnifico, who traps people's wishes inside his castle and then absorbs their magic after learning the dark arts from a forbidden spell book. Not only does this story have the old school Disney charm, but the film's world-building, humor, and heart are just as imaginative as any Disney movie would be, and the references to past Disney films are clever and nostalgic.

The animation is also unique for Disney, combining water color pastel 2D animation with modern CGI. This breathtaking combination is a loving tribute to Disney's old movies from long ago while utilizing the new technology they possess in the modern age. Some say it's "unfinished" and that it "looks like a television production" (they even compare the animation of "The Bad Guys" and "The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday" to say this), but I think it looks very good. It's like Disney is giving their movies the Spider-Verse treatment, but without motion smears. Also, the soundtrack is a banger, with my favorite two songs being "This Wish" and "This is the Thanks I Get?". They are so catchy. I will admit, though, that the film is a bit fast-paced, so the film's story moves along too quickly and things get resolved much sooner than they should. In spite of this, though, "Wish" is a loving tribute to Disney's 100 years of magic. I'd definitely watch this if you love Disney as much as I do.

I Didn't Quite Get My Wish

[rgkarim · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

LIKES:

The Animation -Disney knows how to make things flow, a studio that can capitalize on their swollen budget and invest in making such engaging movements.

-Anatomical accuracy is captured well, animals moving about with correct form, only straying to human dimensions in a small amount when necessary.

-It flows and moves in a poetic style, with a dynamic energy to match the magic being cast in this movie. And the color that goes with it starts to feel like something out of Fantasia in terms of splendor and flow.

-All in all, the animation still continues to prove Disney's elite level of making the unreal come to life in a way, and give us a treat for the eyes.

The Voice Work -Animation relies on voice actors to bring characters to life, and our crew has managed to bring a cornucopia of talent that helps this feat.

-Tudyk is still as fun as ever. His versatility is incredible, this time making a baby goat with a smooth velvety voice his primary objective. He accomplished much with his direction, delivering some great lines to appeal to many ages.

-Pine sounds like, well Pine. His voice is perfect for the illustrious king, very poignant, charming, exciting, and yet still holding hints of rough nature. He pretty much is playing a generic Disney role and doesn't quite have the flair, but also is no slouch.

-DeRose as Asha is great. A modern princess take, with a sensational voice that shows control over emotion, pitch, and delivery, I liked the work she granted the latest princess.

The Design -It's an odd style, but I liked the blend of 2d and 3d animation styles into this hybrid granting an almost cell-shaded game like approach.

-It holds the smooth movements of computer, but the color and energy of the original 2-D style and I think it accomplishes much for the presentations this movie chose.

-Is it weird? Yes! In a way though, it works, as a sort of catch all to help make things pop for all the styles integrated into this movie.

The Music Songs Themselves... Mostly -Disney has proven they can make a big soundtrack with songs that top the charts in sales. Wish is another success, to some degree, in my book.

-A style that feels one part rock opera and another part theatrical stage show, the movie has plenty of that composer feel to it and perhaps the more unique aspect of the film.

-Ballads are powerful and expressive of their dreams, catchy and yet beautiful at the same time. While other songs hold more engagement with their visual numbers than the song alone.

-The product is another collection of good numbers that may be more of the focus and goal than the story itself, but one in which avid Disney music lovers will fall and repeat for years to come.

The Inspiration -Perhaps heavier than other films, Wish is packed with a lot of things to teach the lessons to motivate the audience to do great things.

-The story itself is a bit preachy on this, trying to rub it in my face the importance of dreams and how to make them come true.

-However, I appreciate the lesson, despite the presentation, and found that some of the other character arcs at least tried to tie to this and help push the story.

-Add in the theatrical music and the animated drawing holding such powerful control of emotions, and I felt they accomplished the inspirational tone they were seeking.

Star: -The ultimate merchandising in this movie, the cute little character is my favorite one of the film.

-For not saying anything, the little guy has a lot of heart and character, his emoting by far some of the cutest aspects I've seen in a while and somehow the most diverse of the group.

-He does so much with his little form, knitting, pranking, and somehow inspiring himself, he is an adorable movie wrapped in a small bundle, one to surely be exploited by the House of Mouse.

The Easter Eggs -The movie is a big homage to the history of the studio, and well... it's probably the biggest focus of this movie, or at least bigger than they imagined.

-Disney lovers are going to love finding all the references and inspiration in this movie, cameos galore sprinkled throughout for one to see, or in many cases listen, to what the writers wished to acknowledge.

-Even the credits pay homage to the magic of the studios and what came before, a stunning finish with a song that helps add the ambience to fans like me who love the cartoons released over the 100 years.

-And the End Credit scene holds a weighted tribute to the man who started it all, and while not necessarily the most mind blowing, it does soothe the heart and soul.

DISLIKES:

The Characters So Auxiliary -Outside of the goat and the star, most of the rest of the characters are rather plain, boring, and a dull reference and cultural card than anything else.

-Most of the characters have a gimmick, but often used in the singing and comedic roles, with little else.

-Given characters like Pumba, Mrs. Potts, and the Dwarves, you would think they can accomplish more than spitting out one-liners and a some very limited action moments that hold little weight.

-Such a shame given the strong work that Disney was known for doing so long ago.

Story -Outside of the inspiration, the story really doesn't hold any magic for me either.

-A rather bland story of unoriginal tales, the unique factor is mediocre and just lacking the splendor the animation has.

-I found the tale rushed, full of the bland challenges and weak development that really felt robbed like the wishes of the kingdom.

-So much potential, but so lost to the music and hidden references that what we got was a quick, almost novella story that will be good for those with small attention spans.

-Such a shame.

Placement Of Music -Another gimmick feeling aspect, the music is again good, passionate, and magical, but the placement feels a very modern motif.

-Previous films found the ideal place to put a song, or use it to convey thoughts, feelings, and storytelling that fans have dissected for years.

-Wish felt like Frozen in a sense, lots of songs in one movie, weaker and filling space, seeming just odd to break out into song and dance. A little more tact might have made the song even more impressive

Jokes Are Mediocre And Kiddish -What happened to the double entendre jokes, the clever puns and misunderstandings, or even the well-executed insults?

-Wish has none of that for me. More so forced emotional delivery, kiddy emphasis on butts and spit, and sounding like a social media stars trying to quote a scene like the character and failing.

-Only a few jokes escaped this style, but for the most part, I felt a lot of influencer vibes in the writing, which just isn't my style given the track record of this movie.

Weaker Antagonist -This was sad given again the potential of Disney villains.

-Maleficent, Scar, Gaston, and Rattigan, these and more had design, class, skills, and backing that made them so much fun to fight in the movies and games.

-But Magnifico, outside of the design to look like his actor, is kind of lame. He's cunning sure, but that's it. No major groundbreaking moves, a rather tame use of his powers, and even a boring climactic fight did little to make him memorable.

-It's not he's a bad character, just again, rushed and forgettable, lost in the flood of things crammed into about 80 minutes of actual movie.

Overall Forgettable -The movie is unfortunately not the magnificent production this company promoted for the 100th anniversary.

-It's a movie that feels too full of stuff, gimmicks, music, and references superseding the story and flow, to make a rather lacking film.

-I see many of my friends enjoying this who are die hard Disney fans, young kids that are like them, or just all about singing songs and finding homage touching.

-But for me, it needed more time, more planning, a better story and better use of these ideas to balance into the story and fully cast the Disney spell they can do.

THE VERDICT: I'm sure you can guess, but Wish did not have the magic I had hoped it would have. While the animation and design are beautiful, and the voice acting helps bring some fun, the movie is really more about finding the hidden gems than actually telling that Disney feeling story. A rushed mess of mediocrity with weaker side characters, a boring antagonist and paying too many cards without planning, it feels like storytelling remains a tertiary objective for the House of Mouse.. At least the music, no matter how oddly placed, was able to maximize the inspiration and give you the hope that dreams can come true, just in time for the holiday season. Is this a go for the theater? In a way yes, the sound system does wonders for the music, and 3D could be fun as you ride the nostalgia with a star in the lead. But story and majestic wise... well... that might be best left for a home viewing.

My scores are: Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0.

Some anniversary

[TheVictoriousV · 4/10 · 22 November 2023]

How funny that this film would be called Wish, or maybe a better word is unfortunate. When its trailer came out, and people commented on how its "storybook illustrations come to life" visual style looked more like unfinished 3D animation than moving drawings, you bet there were puns aplenty about how the movie openly admits it's just "Spider-Verse from Wish" -- or, more aptly, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish from Wish" but that one sounds a bit clunky.

Indeed, for all the talk of how Wish would be a grand return for Disney Fairy Tales™ that also, I guess to commemorate Disney's centennial, would somehow "personify" the wishing star we see in many of their films, the reception wasn't exactly across-the-board ecstatic. On top of how weird the animation looked to people -- which is odd since we know Disney can nail 2D-looking 3D, as with 2013's The Paperman -- several critics remarked on how a lot of the post-2010 Disney movies (Pixar, too) reduce themselves to "Pick a culture to explore; make generational trauma the villain" and, more importantly, have interchangeable adorkable/awkward/"quirky" female protagonists that oft sound more like Millennial YouTubers than fairy tale heroines.

Ever since Tangled, the new "princesses" have tried to replicate the vibe of Mandy Moore's Rapunzel on some level. Wish also exemplifies that weird trend of post-Tangled Disney/Pixar films of having one-word titles that don't sound very whimsical or exciting. (Kudos to DALLEE 3: It tends to get this right when generating fake posters for "Pixar's *INSERT HISTORICAL ATROCITY HERE*".) If they ever adapt H. C. Andersen's The Princess and the Pea, mark my words that it'll just be named Pea.

The plot: The ruler of the Mediterranean kingdom of Rosas, one King Magnifico, has the magical ability to keep the "wishes" of the populace in his custody to grant/return as he sees fit; each citizen has to give theirs up as they come of age. His new apprentice, Asha, senses that evil is afoot and discovers that she is able to make wishes irrespective of the king's approval, turning towards the stars and even summoning a sentient wishing star named... Star. And yes, the plushie should be in stores now.

Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk, who naturally plays the comic animal sidekick, are all fairly funny in their roles from time to time and I may even have vibed with one of the songs. Sadly, my verdict mirrors the one that everyone else seems to have: I will not be remembering this movie in a few weeks, beyond the myriad jokes at its expense.

I suppose the Wish situation might partly be explained by the awakening that's been happening all throughout 2023, where mainstream movies get to be truly good and artful again, and so people realize that Disney's films may not be all that interesting -- and, moreover, may not be worth defending under pretenses of activism. We are more aware than ever that options exist. Even if you truly refuse to bring back 2D animation and opt to meet people halfway by making a sort of 2D-3D hybrid, we can find more seamless attempts in such movies as Klaus (which is also a better call-back to older Disney designs than this is) and, like I said, the Spider-Verse films.

I do think people act a bit dismissive toward the picture, and there are things to appreciate in it -- particularly its storybook opening sequence that mimics the typography of the one from Snow White; other images recall the likes of Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Pocahontas, etc. Alas, I think the best version of the movie was lost to another timeline where less corporate meddling took place. (Did I mention that the songs were written, not by someone with experience in musicals, but by a person who's written songs for Justin Bieber?)

We should also give Wish this, however: It made droves of people, be they fans (the thinking, non-zealous kind) or film critics, truly appreciate what this studio used to give us, especially during the Disney Renaissance -- from the superior emotional resonance of the songs to the heavy stakes and grandiloquent visuals (most notably in Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), not to mention the variety of the 2D-animated styles compared to now, when most of the movies look like they inhabit pretty much the same universe.

If you want a true celebration of Disney's magic over the past century 'til now, I'd rather you check out the Disney+ short Once Upon A Studio (which I managed to enjoy despite being reminded not two days later of what Disney has become, as they announced another slew of remakes, even one of effing Frozen). Asha, the latest addition to the world of Disney princesses, joining hands with Snow White, the first-ever of the princesses, is significantly more poetic and moving than anything in Wish.

A Wonderful Celebration

[officialrainbowhighfan · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

Wow. Just wow. This was a wonderful movie that I enjoyed from beginning to end, and I have to say LOVED.

I will definitely be watching this one again when it releases on Disney+ in December.

Asha is charming, cute, and funny, and she takes the story to new heights.

Valentino is hilarious, and I nearly cracked up in the theater when he said, "I'm only three weeks old." Magnifico was fun to watch as you could see him turning more and more evil as the movie went on.

Dahlia? She was hilarious and charming, Gabo was so funny, and Amaya... Well let's just say her happy ending is not what I expected at all!

If I could change one thing about this movie, it would be that Magnifico turned good and was forgiven, because he was just a nice person who was tempted by dark magic.

See Wish in theaters today.

I WISH this movie didn't exist.

[crowbatears · 2/10 · 22 November 2023]

Disney Disney Disney... they could've made the "Disney 100 movie" be an unfinished idea from Walt himself, but sadly went the boring profitable route. The animation is so bad, it's not a cool 3D-2D like Arcane or Puss-In-Boots. Like why did they make this. The humor is weird. It's not kiddy but it just doesn't have an age range, so expect every age range to not find it funny. I wish I knew who this movie was made for, to every age group it's a forgettable movie. And it's sad to think even with disneys 100 year anniversary they chose money over story. I tried not to mention any spoilers but I wish I never watched it.

Nostalgic, Yet New!

[AustinOswald · 9/10 · 22 November 2023]

Not sure why the reviews are so low. This is another instant classic for Disney.

The story structure was fresh yet nostalgic and highlights the importance of working hard to achieve your wishes. It was executed in an innovative and inventive new structure by utilizing a group of characters in its storytelling rather than just one or two main characters.

The 2D/3D hybrid stylization of the sets and characters was unique and something I'd love to see more of from Disney, who very rarely makes changes to their animation and design style.

The music has been stuck in my head for the last week since I saw it. Bringing in an outside singer/songwriter is something that Disney hasn't done in a while. Julia Michaels absolutely brought her best to this soundtrack.

Honestly, I've found myself struggling to make it through Disney's last few animated features. However, I can't go an hour without thinking about when I'll get the chance to see Wish again. This film is right up there with Frozen, Beauty & The Beast, and the Lion King for me.

Wish (2023) - I don't get the hate...

[PeriBloxV2 · 7/10 · 26 November 2023]

So, I just got back from seeing Wish at the time reading this, and I honestly don't get the hate, I really enjoyed this film. It was fun and amazing, and was overall a fun time. Here are my thoughts and feelings for the movie.

Now, before I get on with my review, I just wanna say that if you don't like this movie, that's okay, you're allowed to have that opinion, these are just my thoughts and feelings on the movie, so keep that in mind.

So first off, the villain. I really enjoyed Magnifico as a villain. My favorite types of villains are ones that are entertaining to watch while at the same time feeling like a threat, and Magnifico checks both those boxes, for example, when Magnifico shows up to Asha's house and destroy her grandfather's wish right in front of her and her family did a pretty good job and making him threatening, but I do have my complaints with him. One major thing is that I wish he didn't get hypnotized. It takes some of the responsibility of his actions off of him since he isn't really in full control of his actions while it's some kind of dark magic force twisting his mind, which holds him back from being the completely evil monster that the writers were hyping him up to be. Second of all, the movie wants you to believe that Magnifico is 100 percent in the wrong for not wanting to grant Asha's grandfather's wish. Basically, Magnifico's justification for not granting every wish is that he doesn't want to grant wishes if they are too vague since they could be used to hurt the town or others if granted. Asha's grandfather's wish was to "Inspire people", but the wish was so vague that Magnifico couldn't tell if he just wanted to inspire people in a positive way or in a negative way, and keep in mind Magnifico has never met this person before so he doesn't know what his intentions could be, so he rejects it. The problem with this is that he is completely in the right in this situation, but the movie wants you to believe he's completely selfish and egocentric for this decision. I know most of Asha's conflict with Magnifico is that he won't give the wishes back to the people even though he doesn't plan on granting them, but the movie still wants you to believe that Magnifico is completely evil for not granting Asha's grandfather's wish even though he has a very good reason not to.

Next up, the music. The soundtrack is just good in my opinion. While all the songs are good, most of them are pretty forgetful, but the ones that slap really slap. Songs like "This is the thanks I get", "This Wish", and "Knowing What I know now" are amazing and I'll definitely be blasting those numerous times, however some of the other sings just don't sound very interesting or have already been done before the exact same in other Disney films. For example, the first song of the movie, "Welcome to Rosas" sounds very bland and has already been done in numerous other Disney films. The song is basically just Asha singing about the town's traditions and hyping the place up, which has already been done in other films, like "Encanto" with "The Family Madrigal", now i'm not saying they can't do that same type of song, but they don't do anything unique with the song so it just feels really meh. One big problem I have with the lyrics are some of the lyrics are pretty dumb. For example, in "This is the thanks I get", one of the lines is "I let you live here for free and I don't even charge you rent", which doesn't really make sense when you think about it for more than 5 seconds. He's basically saying "I let you live here for free and I let you live here for free", so the lyrical writing definitely still needs work

Next up, the characters. Apart from Magnifico and Asha, the other characters are just kind of boring. So Asha has a group of friends that help her with taking back all of people's wishes and returning them to their rightful owners so they can go out and achieve their dreams on their own (which i'll get to later), but they all aren't really that interesting. The only ones I really remember is the one that wears glasses and is always angry, and the sleepy guy because he shows the consequences of loosing your wish and because he ends up selling out Asha to King Magnifico, and even then I barely remember their names. The only notable thing I can mention is that they're all based off the seven dwarfs from Snow White, but that's it, it's a neat little reference at that. The main characters also aren't safe from being somewhat boring. So apart from Asha, the other main characters are a goat named Valentino and a star literally called Star. For the most part, Star is okay. He's basically Disney's attempt to sell merch, but he's alright. He's cute and is a key part in the story, but Valentino... not so much. Valentino really doesn't do much notable in the story and he's not that funny either. He's not the worst character put the screen, but he's a pretty weak comic relief character. One thing I want to point out about Asha though is that I don't really like how she becomes a fairy godmother in the end. The whole point of the film is that you don't need wishes to make your dreams a reality and that it's more fulfilling to go out and do it yourself, but nope, they completely fall back on that message by giving Asha the power to grant everyone's wishes whenever she pleases.

Next up, the animation. Now, I normally don't judge Disney films on animation since ya know, it's Disney you should expect good animation, but since this animations goes for something completely different, I thought I'd mention it. So when the animation was first revealed, a lot of people thought it looked cheap and unfinished, but I thought it looked fine. Yes, it doesn't look as good as other Disney movies but still looks great. This film basically does the whole Spider-Verse art style, but in it's own way by combining 3D with 2D. A lot of people wish they just stuck to 2D, but I feel this animation combination works for this movie since it's their 100th anniversary film, so it's like its honoring their 2D and 3D animated projects, which I enjoyed and I would love to see more Disney films in this art style and improve upon it.

In conclusion, Wish is a great movie and has a pretty good villain, a good, yes flawed message about going out and achieving your dream, a great blend of Disney's 2D and 3D animated films, and a couple of powerful songs, but falls in flat in the rest of the soundtrack, goes back on it's message at the very end, and has some pretty bland characters. Overall I'd give it a 7/10, I really enjoyed it and I feel it's a worthy film to wrap up Disney's 100th anniversary. Thanks for reading!

this is not the thanks we get.

[lifeofjentry · 3/10 · 22 November 2023]

I have personally never in my entire life groaned as many times as I did watching this movie. The plot is so mushy and undercooked, all the Disney references didn't feel magical, and the music actually sucks.

The movie doesn't care about actually making a story. It takes the formula of classic movies and then just places it in the movie just because. There's a ton of elements and parts of the movie that have little to no time to flesh it out. I legit didn't know who any of Asha's best friends were yet the movie wanted the betrayal scene to feel super massive. But it didn't feel like one, I just sat there and went "Huh? What? He had plot significance?" That was my reaction to a lot of the movie.

My second reaction was "UUUGH!" It feels like the people behind the scenes cared more about the audience going "oh hey it's (insert Disney movie)!" instead of going "Oh my gosh! What's gonna happen next in this movie?" Every time I saw a Disney reference or a "hidden" Mickey, I was cringing on the inside. It wasn't smart. It was annoying.

Speaking of annoying, I had a mild dislike for Asha. There's an excellent video online about the "adorkable" Disney princesses. Asha feels like how gen z kids picture millennials but cranked to 100. Every time she was rambling like "Oh I'm sorry. I'm so annoying and I care too much! Am I annoying? Probably" I wanted to stop watching the movie immediately cause I was just actually getting annoyed by it.

Modern Disney

[racethemoonlight · 7/10 · 7 April 2024]

I had seen so many advertisements and tons of merchandise for this movie over the past several months... an annoying amount. I saw that it had dropped on Disney+, so I figured why not give it a watch? First impression: It started off somewhat slow, and the first song is easily forgettable. Asha seems like such a genuine character, looking out for her family, her friends, and her community. She looked up to the king who seemed to be a pretty cool and powerful dude, and interviewed to be his apprentice- one of the most prestigious roles in the kingdom. It's her grandfather's 100th birthday and there is a wish-granting ceremony. Surely it's his turn, right? Everything is not as it seems. Upon closer inspection, the king's intentions are less than pure and Asha decides it wouldn't be right to work for him. She sings about it and summons a wishing star from the sky. This song is catchy- better than the others. This star thing makes everything weird. Now the goat is talking- all of the animals and plants are singing and dancing. The star itself doesn't talk, of course. Everyone else in the town is still blissfully unaware that their beloved king is an actual garbage human. He sings about how great he is (who is he trying to convince?). Asha let's everyone know what she knows, then they all sing about "what they know now", including, plot twist- his loyal wife. They all turn on him, and live happily ever after. This film was packed with Disney Easter eggs, which I found myself searching for them after noticing the first few. Also, I think the message is great. It's okay to change your mind about something once you get more information. Stand up for what is right. Overall, I didn't hate it. Worth a watch!