Plot: What’s it about?
I suppose if you’re one of the most influential companies to ever exist and have been around for a century – the ability and desire to pat yourself on the back will eventually surface. That’s the premise behind Wish, though the filmmakers won’t really say that verbatim. The film essentially imagines a world akin the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which all of the characters from all of the Disney animated films exist in one place. Proud of ourselves, are we? And yes, if you need it spelled out for you that star that’s the central theme of the movie is the same one that Jiminy Cricket sung about all those years ago. But in an effort to congratulate itself on a century of magic, does it really generate anything new? Let’s find out.
We meet Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), who lives in the kingdom of Rosas. She dreams working along with King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine). He’s a not-so-nice chap who’s collected the wishes of his people to keep them safe. Occasionally he’ll select one that will come true. Asha learns his secret and that he’s been hoarding wishes to prevent them from coming true. Not so “magnifico” now is he? This frustrates Asha and she wishes upon a star (get it?) to stop him. Along the way there’s a talking goat, because every Disney movie needs a smart-ass anthropomorphic animal to break up the monotony.
Disney has more money than God. I was recently in Orlando, Florida and thought to myself – “This place wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Disney.” And I’ll stand by that assessment. The point I’m trying to make is that Wish really wasn’t for me. It’s self-congratulatory and if Disney wanted to make a film about its 100 years, why not just produce a documentary instead of masquerading it as a film? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a total waste as there are some catchy tunes and if you do want to try and spot all the Easter Eggs (of which there are plenty), that might make for more of an enjoyable experience.
Video: How’s it look?
To say that Wish has a very unique look and feel about it is, of course, an understatement. Though it’s more in the traditional style of Disney’s animation, there are several (literal) layers at work here. It’s bursting with color, depth, dimension and just about everything in between. It gives the movie a 3-D effect that’s sure to look great on any home theater display. Detail is impeccable, contrast and black levels are spot on as well. Given the medium, there really isn’t any artifacting to speak of and it’s essentially what we’d expect – a great-looking picture that’s sure to please.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I try not to stream a lot of things and those that I do, I really don’t tend to review on this site. I tend to be pretty basic in my technical descriptions sometimes, so I’ll just say that my receiver recognized this as “Dolby Atmos” and, hey, that’s good enough for me. As is the case with most, if not all, of Disney’s animated titles – there are songs, songs and yes…even more songs. And they sound great. The voices resonate through the speakers, surrounds are used well and wisely filling the viewing area with plenty of ambiance. In essence, it delivers on what we thought it would and sounds great in the process.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Once Upon a Studio – Essentially a glorified promo for Disney as the narrator gushes at the majesty and might of the mouse.
- 100 Years in the Making: The Story of Wish – A nine-part featurette that breaks down the etymology of the project as well as giving us a pretty in-depth history of Disney. Running just over an hour, most segments are in the 7-9 minute range.
- What Makes Disney, Disney
- The Wish Equation
- Looking Backward to go Forward
- Where Dreams and Reality Collide
- Asha Meets Wish
- The Return of the Disney Villain
- A Star is Born
- Those Who Stand Beside Me
- When Wishes Come True
- Wish D-Classified – The animators had a grand old time filling the movie with Easter Eggs from various other Disney films, this segment helps you find a few.
- Outtakes – Yeah, I think we know what these are.
- Deleted Song – “A Wish Worth Making”
- Deleted Scenes – Five total, running just over 20 minutes. These are shown in very crude stages of animation, but do have an introduction by Head of Story – Mark Kennedy.
- Song Selection – You can choose from seven songs to listen to as you so desire.
The Bottom Line
I think that the filmmakers thought that this would be a bit more successful than it really was. I didn’t find it bad, but the concept has “been there, done that” so many times I’ve lost count. But I know that Disney’s animation is the stuff dreams are (or were) made of, so if that’s up your alley then this might be for you.
