Plot: What’s it about?
Hayley Wheaton (Danielle Harris) has immense intelligence, but limited social skills, while her sister Alexia (Katherine Heigl) is gorgeous and popular, but lacks in the brains department. The two couldn’t be much more different and although they’re sisters & they live in the same house, they have little to do with each other. They ride together to school, trade some insults here and there, but aside from that, they hardly even talk to one another. But Hayley envies Alexia for her good looks, social status, and of course, her boyfriend Kyle (Don Jeffcoat). She would never admit that however, as she would hate to let her sister know, let alone anyone else. So while Alexia rules the school with her clique, Hayley and her friend (yes, singular) live in obscurity and get their only thrills from science projects, as well as peeking into Alexia’s diary at times. But when Hayley makes a wish on a shooting star to trade places with her older sister, things get thrown out of whack on a cosmic scale. Hayley wakes up inside of Alexia’s body, while Alexia wakes up in hers and believe me on this one, hijinks ensue…
I saw part of this movie on television a while back, but I missed most of it, so I made sure to check it out once it arrived on DVD. I know Disney Channel movies don’t often turn out that well, but Wish Upon a Star is an exception, as it offers some great moments. I have a soft spot for teen comedies and perhaps that’s why I liked this one, as it has the usual teen comedy elements, but without the adult themes. So no cursing, nudity, or sex scenes, this is a Disney Channel flick after all, so it has to be family friendly, right? I know family movies often seem dull and corny, but this one is good and should please viewers of all ages, so long as they like to laugh. I think the reason it works so well lies within the writing, which promotes family values, but never forces a message, so it seems more like a movie, as opposed to a sermon. It has some cliches and groan moments, but it’s worth a look, if just for the cute performances of Danielle Harris (Halloween 5, Urban Legend) and Katherine Heigl (Valentine, Tv’s Roswell), who seem in fine form. This movie is terrific for those in need of a comedic family picture and since Columbia has issued a fine disc, this release is highly recommend in all respects.
Video: How does it look?
Wish Upon a Star is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. The image here is terrific and shows minimal flaws, aside from some slight edge enhancement at times. But on the whole, this is a fine visual treatment and should please all viewers. The film’s colorful visual scheme looks great here, with vivid hues, natural flesh tones, and no signs of errors to be seen. The contrast remains sharp and stark from start to finish also, leaving no room for complaints. This might be a made for television picture, but it looks awesome on DVD, to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a dialogue driven movie for the most part, so don’t expect too much from the included 2.0 surround option here. The soundtrack sometimes sparks a little depth, but on the whole, this is a pretty limited experience, as it should be. The elements come through as well as possible and I’d rather have this kind of natural, but limited mix, as opposed to one that forces surround presence and sounds hollow. The vocals are clean and rich at all times, with no volume or clarity issues to contend with. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as an audio commentary track with director Blair Treu and writer Jessica Barondes. This is a very relaxed and enjoyable session, as the two talk about the production, the performers, and of course, tell various behind the scenes stories. Barondes talks about the process of writing the film, as well as getting it made into a film, while Treu discuss his thoughts on cast members and various other topics. A very cool track and I commend Columbia for including it here, as I didn’t expect one on this release, to be sure.
