For 100 years, Disney has been a core pillar of entertainment, providing memories that last a lifetime for people of all ages. Magic and Wonder are the company’s brand, and Wish (2023) is meant to celebrate what has made Disney so dear to the hearts of generations over the last century. Unfortunately, it lacks much of the magic that our culture has come to expect since 1923.

Billed as the origin story of Disney’s iconic wishing star, Wish follows Asha (Ariana DeBose), a citizen of the magical kingdom of Rosas. Life is good in Rosas, but it can be better. The land is ruled by the magical King Magnifico (Chris Pine), who has made a reputation for himself by being powerful enough to grant his citizens’ wishes. When Asha learns that Magnifico only grants the wishes he deems worthy, leaving the rest of his subjects with incomplete souls, she makes a powerful wish that inadvertently conjures a cosmic being capable of its own magical abilities.

Viewers expecting Wish to bear any originality may leave disappointed as it spends most of its runtime catering exclusively to hardcore Disney fans. The film puts more energy into stuffing Easter eggs and references to the studio’s animated catalog anywhere it can than it does into telling a compelling story. The characters are archetypes that are literally ripped straight from classic Disney fare with an unimaginative plot as predictable as they come.

If not for Asha and King Magnifico, there would be nothing interesting about Wish. Asha herself is what audiences have come to expect from a standard Disney protagonist. She checks all of the boxes, including having a dead family member, a merchandisable animal companion, and a dream. She works mainly because of the life that DeBose pours into her through her passionate and ranged performance. The Academy Award-winner’s stellar voice adds so much power to each musical number, and her charm keeps the audience engaged during story-driven scenes. The film’s signature song, “This Wish,” isn’t quite the next “Let It Go” or “How Far I’ll Go,” but DeBose’s vocals help it get extremely close.

On the other hand, Magnifico steals the show from the moment he appears on-screen. His layered backstory and motivations make him Disney’s most refreshing animated antagonist in years. He is so strong that he outshines every other character in the film. (He even warrants his own movie.) The character’s strength is further established by including his wife, Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral), who is severely underutilized and wasted as a character. Their relationship could have been mined for some profound dramatic moments, but she does nothing to stand out. Perhaps the live-action remake that will inevitably be greenlit in the next decade will further delve into their background.

Magnifico and Asha are similar in that they care too much about protecting people. This is explored in a beautiful duet shared by both characters in a song early on titled “At All Costs,” which happens to be one of the film’s best musical numbers. While this is a strength for Asha, it is a weakness for Magnifico, making him a vain and fearful ruler. He is frightened by anything that may pose a threat to his power, which is why he refuses to grant certain wishes. Losing his home and his family to criminals as a child made him determined to work hard, learn magic and build a kingdom where his citizens could be safe. The possibility of ever losing his home again makes him erratic and susceptible to corruption, which he demonstrates by the song “This Is The Thanks I Get!?”

Overall, the original music in Wish is serviceable. The songs written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice are catchy, but a select few leave an impact that stays with viewers after they appear. At times, songs like “Welcome To Rosas” and “I’m A Star” feel included to pad the runtime. The former is the obligatory exposition song, similar to “For The First Time In Forever” from Frozen (2013), but lacks all the memorable charm and melodies. The latter had the potential to be a showstopper in theory but significantly overstays its welcome with incessant lyrics and annoying characters that hold no importance to the story.

The greatest disappointment in Wish is that it doesn’t live up to its potential. It tries so hard to evoke classic Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) and Sleeping Beauty (1959) that it only makes viewers wish they were watching those films instead. Even the animation is underwhelming. The blend of Disney’s distinct 3D animation with watercolor backgrounds meant to call back to iconic fairy tale illustrations feels off-putting and dull. The new style wants to pay homage to Disney’s past and present but only makes viewers yearn for the studio to return to entirely hand-drawn 2D animation.

Wish is not the new animated classic that the most renowned animation studio in the world hopes it will be. It’s a tired retread of Disney themes that have been better explored countless times before. It spends so much time patting itself on the back with a slew of references to all of the great films of the past that it forgets to stand on its own two feet and tell a story that is worthy of the Disney legacy.

Review Courtesy of Evan Miller

Feature Image Credit to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures via IMDb