Movie Review: Disney’s enchanting ‘Wish’ is a fresh tale packed with surprises for Disney fans

“Wish” revolves around seventeen-year-old heroine Asha, who is voiced with humor, passion, and powerhouse singing by Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”). Asha is our tour guide through the kingdom of Rosas, a magical medieval city where residents live in comfort and safety from the outside world. Anyone is welcome to plant roots in Rosas as long as they relinquish their deepest wish to charismatic ruler King Magnifico (Chris Pine), who will use his powers as a sorcerer to grant the wish when he deems the time is right.

In contrast to Magnifico, Asha possesses no magical skills and is not a princess, as some have mistakenly called her. She lives with her mother, Sakina (Natasha Rothwell), and grandfather, Sabino (Victor Garber), in a humble home in the forest. Asha adores her diverse group of teenage friends and literally sings the praises of Rosas to all who visit the kingdom. Asha’s community means everything to her, so she aims to land an apprenticeship with the king to help maintain Rosas’ utopian status. And if the job means Magnifico will grant her grandfather’s wish on his 100th birthday? All the better.

It’s no spoiler to share that King Magnifico is not the benevolent monarch he appears to be, as Disney made clear in early press releases, available soundtrack songs, and the film’s trailer. Pine plays Magnifico’s many shades with relish, gamely leaning into the character’s charming showmanship and his underbelly of malevolence. Asha sees both sides of the king during her apprenticeship interview, connecting with him over the grief of loss and enduring his wrath when she dares to question his methods. He vows never to grant Sabino’s wish, and Asha is left with her hopes dashed and her grandfather’s painful disappointment.

But since wishes in Rosas must be given to the king on a resident’s 18th birthday, Asha still has one wish left. Through the film’s signature song, the power ballad “This Wish,” Asha sends her dreams skyward, setting off a wave of enchantment that illuminates the kingdom and catches the eye of Magnifico, who distrusts any magic that is not his own. Another result of her seismic wish is the appearance of Star, a non-speaking, sprightly embodiment of wish magic. The little character practically oozes cuteness (and is sure to be a hit with kids) but also wields powers more advanced than Magnifico’s. Star spreads joyful magic wherever it goes, making plants and animals turn anthropomorphic and break into song, including Asha’s pajama-wearing goat companion, Valentino, voiced with comedic aplomb (and a surprisingly deep baritone) by Alan Tudyk.

Fueled by his paranoia and narcissism, King Magnifico’s dark side becomes increasingly evident to those around him. Once he discovers Star, he seeks to harness its power. Asha must rally her community and convince them to stand against the king—not an easy feat when they believe he is the only path toward achieving their dreams.

The Magic of a Wish

From Geppetto to Moana, Disney characters have looked to the stars for wish fulfillment, guidance, and hope. “When You Wish Upon a Star” from “Pinocchio,” arguably the studio’s most iconic song, gently encourages viewers to believe that no matter where they come from or how woeful their circumstances, their dreams can still come true.

“Wish” directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and scriptwriters Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore are well aware of the power of Disney’s signature optimism. However, they deepen the message through the story arc of “Wish”: waiting for someone else to make your dreams come true is not enough; you must take ownership of your deepest wish and work to make it a reality.

If the premise of “Wish” sounds a bit heavy for kids, it’s actually quite the opposite. Recent Disney animated films like “Frozen II” and “Encanto” relied heavily on generational trauma to drive the plot, which could be a bit intense for sensitive little ones (and grownups, honestly), even with the comedic relief of characters like Olaf. Though “Wish” isn’t as moving as the flicks mentioned above, it still enchants. Buck, Veerasunthorn, Lee, and Moore honed the story to a fine point, and the movie practically gallops with enough variety to hook everyone from preschoolers to grandparents. The sparkling presence of Star helps maintain the film’s light touch, along with the cast’s spirited performances and the dynamic original songs by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice.

Original Music in “Wish”

The music in “Wish” has a freshness and vibrancy thanks to Michaels and Rice. Grammy nominee Michaels, who has penned hits for pop artists like Dua Lipa, Janelle Monáe, Gwen Stefani, and Selena Gomez, is the youngest person to have written all of the songs for a Disney animated film. Grammy winner Rice has co-produced music with a wide range of artists, most notably with Lady Gaga for the film “A Star Is Born.”

With the movie’s anchor song, “This Wish,” Michaels and Rice empowered DeBose to sing across her entire range, and the tune feels transcendent enough to pull magic from the stars. Another standout is “I’m a Star,” a contemporary Broadway-style number that playfully employs Rosas’ forest animals to encourage Asha on her path. Each of the film’s songs is memorable and propels the story toward its powerful conclusion.

“Wish” Animation Honors Disney’s History

But we couldn’t review a Disney animated movie without addressing the animation, right? After all, the studio is known for taking artistic and technological leaps forward with each of its films, and “Wish” is no exception.

After the movie’s first trailer was released, fans were divided about the animation, which naysayers claimed looked too simplistic or not fully rendered. Indeed, the animation style is a departure from recent Disney movies, which featured highly photorealistic renderings, such as in “Raya and the Last Dragon.” However, “Wish” is a gorgeous film that combines 2D and 3D animation techniques to pay tribute to Disney’s animated history and deserves to be enjoyed on the big screen. Notably, the filmmakers even widened the aspect ratio to match the Disney classic “Sleeping Beauty,” the last of the studio’s films to utilize so much screen space.

The filmmakers also found inspiration in the storybook-style, hand-painted art of past Disney artists like Gustaf Tenggren and Kay Nielsen and sought a similar look for “Wish.” The textures of the characters and scenery in the kingdom of Rosas were rendered to resemble watercolor on paper and required an innovative new animation technique called screen space texturing. To make the watercolor-like backgrounds read more clearly, Disney animators pulled back on some of the details they would typically add for photorealistic animation and simplified the characters’ lines—a choice that may have caused the online chatter about the animation style. Though it may look a bit different from Disney movies of the recent past, this unique style gave the film a softer, cozier appearance, which felt appropriate for a fairytale story.

It remains to be seen whether “Wish” will stand out among Disney’s most cherished animated classics, but if you’re seeking a beautiful family film this holiday season that will appeal to all ages, this is the one to watch in the theater.