WISH

US, 2023, 95 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef.

Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veersunthorn.

A Disney animation feature to celebrate 100 years of Disney. Sadly, critics were harsh on the film as were blogs and comments from the public.

The intention was to continue with the line of Disney heroines, thinking Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and, of course, the heritage from Frozen. (And, during the final credits, there are sketched characters from all the celebrated Disney films.)

The film has a strong voice cast, led by Chris Pine as the malicious King, Magnifico, Ariana DeBose, Oscar winner for West Side Story, as Asha, the 17-year-old who wants to audition to be an apprentice to the King. She is attractive. She is feisty. She is certainly in the tradition – but not exactly a Princess until the end. She is active, she has cared for everyone, she confronts the King, wishes upon a star who materialises, leads the strategy against the King.

The film starts with storybook visuals on pages and narrative – and ends with a happy ever after with the book.

In the meantime, there are a number of supporting characters including a three weeks old goat with a fine accent, there is Asha’s hundred-year-old grandfather and her mother, a number of friends and servants as well as the population of this island community, which had welcomed everyone from everywhere, in the Mediterranean.

With her audition, Asha discovers the malice of Magnifico, starting benign, resorting to sorcery, becoming ever more powerful, and even more avaricious of greater power. His main song lyric is “I get what I want”. But, ultimately Asha, with the help of the disillusioned queen, finds a strategy with the help of the star she has twist upon and appears to overcome Magnifico, but not without great dangers to herself.

The young audience will be taken with the story, the eccentric and funny characters, the heroine, and the evil King. An older audience might spend some time thinking that it is all an allegory about fascist dictators, initially charming, subjects loyal, becoming more and more evil and possessive, exercising power ruthlessly, wanting complete domination.

So, in comparison with other Disney films, it is rather slight, but quietly enjoyable in its limited way.

PS. It was not only this reviewer thinking of the allegory of fascism but a shrewd blogger takes it all further…Fascinating cultural study on capitalism

TopTenJesus200025 November 2023

So what I believe Disney was doing with Wish was to tell kids not to spend their time wishing away their lives by consuming Disney products and movies. When you place your hopes and dreams into the hands of a power greater than you, such as corporate Disney, you become a slave to what they want serving only to make them more powerful and you weaker.

It's a bizarrely subversive hit on themselves

1. The celebration of the Disney centenary? A succession of animation features? Princesses and of enterprising and lively heroines?
2. The title, the theme of ordinary people’s wishes, their being collected, the king promising to fulfil them but then collecting them, refusing to grant them, but the heroine freeing the wishes and their being absorbed, and creative fulfilment?
3. The visual style, the characters, traditional Disney, the heroine, the king and queen, the Palace, the island in the Mediterranean, the forests? The voice cast? And the singing?
4. The insertion of the songs, Asha, with her hundred-year-old grandfather, her mother, the memories, singing with them, singing with all the servants, Magnifico and his song, the Queen joining in, the happy songs?
5. The opening, the book, the fairytale, the voice-over, the King, Magnifico, his rule, becoming a sorcerer, more and more powerful, auditioning Asha, the apprentices, his being defied, not granting wishes, Asha and the star, his reaction, relying on his wife, her turning against him, Asha and the stars seeing the grandfather’s wish? Magnifico, more and more angry, to destroy Asha, his public appearances and acclaim?
6. Asha, aged 17, with the range of servants, serious, comic, the foolish, the grumpy, tired, the sewing friend? Magnifico using the tired friend as a decoy, fulfilling his wishes? His betraying his friends? The confrontation in the woods?
7. The plan, the group of servants, trying to open the roof, letting the wishes go free? Asha going into the woods, the horse, the star, the magic wand and its exercise? Magnifico in pursuit, with Simon in his place? Staying in the Palace, gathering the people, getting all the wishes, capturing them?
8. The combined efforts of everyone to overcome the King, the little star, confronting Asha, his being confined to his staff – and the Queen relegating him to the dungeon?
9. The comic touches with the goat, the star not speaking but twinkling, the range of supporting characters and voices?
10. An allegory of fascist leaders and their love for power? And the need for rebellion – and, in this case, a female-led rebellion?