Hot sexy magical kings aren’t all bad, but they aren’t all good either. That’s the theme of Wish, the amusing Disney movie that may not be the Mouse House’s next animated classic but has enough music, humor, and weird talking animals to satisfy kids and parents alike.
Wish is about a 17-year-old girl named Asha who loves her magical kingdom so much she literally leads tour groups through it. She is also super excited to become the magical king’s apprentice until she discovers that he is, you know, sort of a dick. She is then befriended by an adorable little wishing star that is so cute you just want to hug and kiss and snuggle the damn thing to death.
Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk lead the engaging voice cast, bringing life to the vibrant, semi-original-looking animation that blends CGI and traditionally animated aesthetics. Wish isn’t the most colorful or energetic or spontaneously entertaining Disney movie, but it tries hard to do battle in each category. There’s a funny talking goat (Tudyk), dancing chickens, that cute star creature that may or may not be the Anti-Christ, and other silly moments. The villain, voiced by the charismatic Pine, is about what you’d expect if Chris Pine were a charismatic, power-hungry, and somewhat sociopathic villain. Asha isn’t a princess, but she’s a likable, earnest, and strong-willed heroine.
The music is good, not great. There are a couple semi-powerful songs, but having watched and/or listened to Encanto a hundred times thanks to my five-year-old, I’ve become spoiled by the imaginative and complex lyrics at hand–and expect something just a bit more these days.
Of course, little kids won’t give a damn. The music is fun, the characters are funny, and the film is entertaining and not remotely scary (though my five-year-old still covered her eyes at times, for reasons that only make sense to five-year-olds).
Wish may not be exceptional, but it’s worthwhile nonetheless. If you were expecting a wish pun, you underestimate my laziness.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.