Wish - A movie review - Stress Free Mickey

WISH

To celebrate the Disney Company turning 100, Disney’s Wish came out at the end of 2023. While there were a LOT of strong opinions and mixed reviews – we all really liked this movie! (Well… almost all of us.)

I always try to go in with as few spoilers as possible. While I knew that there would be easter eggs, I didn’t know who the star cast would be – and I knew nothing about the plot. I also chose not to listen to the songs in advance, because I feel like that really spoils the story.

I was absolutely transfixed for the entire movie! The overarching theme gripped me and I personally found it incredibly moving.

I found it to be… less… captivating. I didn’t really know what to expect, and honestly found it not grabbing my attention.

About Wish

Wish takes place in the city of Rosas. A gathering place for all dreamers, where your wish can come true. I loved the representation in this movie, lots of diversity. The story follows Asha, a 17 year old that makes a desperate plea to the stars which results in her meeting her very own magic star. The kingdom’s evil ruler Magnifico is holding onto everyone’s wishes for “safe keeping” and Asha is on a mission to free the wishes.

Asha is, at first, enchanted by the idea of a wish being granted each year and visits Magnifico in the hope to become an apprentice. She quickly realizes, however, that Magnifico is abusing his power of the people with his charm and twisted lies. She is the only one at first that sees the danger in giving up something so valuable and precious into the hands of another. The movie follows her journey to save peoples wishes.

The movie starts with an ode to the first movies that open up with a book. The whole animation style is very clean but also very story board! Going into it, I had heard a lot of negative things about the animation style, and honestly I wish they had committed to either making it fully 3D rendering, or going 2D. By doing this blend, it felt like a step backwards, and to me it cheapened it as it felt more like a TV movie rather than a feature film (I said what I said!). I appreciated the blend of watercolor, aspect ratio, and newer technology. It felt like a perfect blend of the old style of animation and new technology for me. I really think they were trying to honour the history of Disney animation and for me they accomplished that.

The songs are very Pop, and offers a new sound to the Disneyverse. I’m not 100% sold on the songs (yet), but I think if I listen to the soundtrack a little bit longer, it will give me a better idea of where I stand with it, as that was what I needed from Encanto before I loved those songs. It’s truly unfortunate that not one song was up for an Oscar this year. I, for one, felt that they were worthy of that!

A lot of people critiqued the story, and felt that Disney relied too heavily on the one hundredth celebration, rather than creating a full story, but I did not find this to be the case. I read an article interview whereby the directors mentioned that they wanted there to be a full story first, with the Easter eggs as fun additions.

And I agree completely. I actually found the overarching theme to be complex and a really strong statement. The idea of willingly giving up a dream to stop worrying about it – and trusting it in the hands of someone else – really felt like an important message. Who says your dream is too dangerous? Not possible? Dreams and hopes are fragile, and should be treated as such. To have this beautiful, innocent and completely pure thing twisted in manipulation – this is high level stuff. It has driven me to so much thought around giving space for hopes and dreams – and protecting my girls hearts from giving up to easily or trusting the wrong people.

WISH

Our Thoughts

As you can already tell – I loved it. I was enchanted. It pulled me in, inspired me, made me tear up.
I loved the villain – I found him really relatable in that everyone has some good and some bad and it’s easy to be pulled in and convince yourself that your mindset is right even when it’s dangerous! I loved all of the nods to the older movies while staying relevant and new!

Also, I did love how narcissistic he was (“I AM a handsome king”), and that it was the draw of power that made the E.V.I.L come out (Every Villain is Lime). And I, for one, also enjoyed his villain song. It’s catchy and funny which I know is an unpopular opinion! Though I find the quirky, relatable, clumsy princess/main character thing is becoming a bit one note (Rapunzel, Moana, Mirabel, Anna…). But overall Asha was a good friend, sweet, and decently lovable.

I LOVED the villain song – and in the forest the whole “You are your own origin story” just had me teary eyed. What an uplifting message after such a hard season for many in the last few years!

I quite enjoyed Wish. Valentino the goat was a scene-stealer for sure. (Ok – his voice bugged me! That was the only thing I didn’t like). The friendships featured in the movie gave me the warm fuzzies. I LOVED hunting for the Easter Eggs. Looking for and finding them throughout the movie was a good time. I outlasted my kids when it came to the soundtrack. Personally, I liked the demo versions best. Julie Michaels is an artist that I really enjoy, and her version of “I’m a Star” is super fun to sing along to.

We watched Wish as a family of 4 with two teenagers aged 12 and 15 and we all liked it a lot. It maybe wasn’t love at first watch like some of the other movies in the past but still very enjoyable. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Easter Eggs

Halt! If you want to find the Easter Eggs on your own, skip over this part. An Easter Egg is a hidden nod or reference to other movies or characters. Lot’s of Disney movies have them but since Wish was released on the year of Disney 100 there are even more than normal.

In the Wish bubbles – there is a dress that is Aurora’s dress! There are also nods to Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid. I’m pretty sure i also saw the “EPCOT” print on a dress watching it a third time, too!
Another is in the design styles of the friends. Not only design, but in personality too! With an obvious nod to Snow White in Dahlia (her hairstyle was a dead giveaway to me), and Jasmine in Bazeema (colour scheme, hairpiece, earrings). . Which others did YOU notice?
Asha’s friends all have names that start with the same letters as the seven dwarves; Dahlia (Doc), Bazeema (Bashful), Gabo (Grumpy he even talks about being “Grumpy”), Hal (Happy), Simon (Sleepy), Dario, (Dopey), and Safi (Sneezy). They even share some character traits.
During the song “I’m a Star”, there are several characters that bear strong resemblances to Bambi, with the Stag being named Bambi, as said by the bear John (Little John from Robin Hood anyone?)
Asha’s outfit at the end hints that this movie was the origin story for a very famous fairy godmother.
Valentino sings about the stars, but mentions they are balls of gas (a nice nod to The Lion King) and he says “so much for true love” ( a direct quote from Ursula herself!)
Keep you eyes open for hidden Mickeys.
And don’t forget to stay ’til the hidden scene – that was “worth the price of admission” alone!

Wish Food Ideas

While not the most creative idea ever – anything star shaped is going to work great for this movie! Use a star shape cutter like these! Make sandwiches, pizza, jello, cookies, pancakes, fruit – all different shapes of stars!

We also thought it would be fun to do a shimmer drink. I found a powder (like this) on Amazon and used it to put in sparkling apple juice in fancy glasses. We made cotton candy with a cotton candy maker, and put some of the glitter in the middle and made a cotton candy glitter bomb. Definitely a great addition to your movie night at home! This was a huge hit!

Merchandise and Wish in the Parks

There is some offerings in the Parks and at the Disney Stores (and online at shop Disney) if you are into such a thing. The “I’m a Star” Spirit Jersey was adorable, as well as Valentino’s plush!