An interesting premise is let down by a rather bland cast of characters, design, and music.
By CHIN JIAN WEI
BASKL was invited to the media screening of Disney’s new animated movie, Wish, at the Aurum Theatre, The Gardens Mall. The Aurum Theatre was exceedingly comfortable, bringing to mind the first-class section of an aeroplane. Blankets and pillows were provided, and the seats were wide and spacious, allowing patrons to recline comfortably while watching the movie. So, no complaints about the theatre, but how was the movie?
Wish is a movie that celebrates 100 years of Disney, and so harkens back to the type of movie that put Disney’s name on the map. Set in a medieval fantasy setting just like its ancestors Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, Wish is the story of Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), a young girl who lives in the kingdom of Rosas. Rosas is an apparent utopia where people around the world travel to in the hopes of having their wishes fulfilled by the charismatic King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine). Upon turning 18, every citizen of Rosas can give their wish to the king, who will take care of it in their stead and grant it at a future time. When that time will be, or if it will even be granted at all, is up to the king’s discretion.
Asha’s grandfather turns 100 at the time of the story, and has been waiting for his wish for many years. This is what compels Asha to apply to be the king’s apprentice, so she can petition him to grant her grandfather’s wish. However, what she discovers when she is in the king’s magical laboratory shocks her. King Magnifico will only grant wishes he is absolutely sure will pose no threat at all to the kingdom, and those that are even slightly ambiguous, like Asha’s grandfather’s wish, will never be granted despite how innocuous they may seem. Dejected, Asha makes a wish so powerful, a cosmic force takes notice: the glowing mascot of the movie, Star.
This is in this writer’s opinion, an incredibly compelling premise. Is it better to undergo heartache and hardship in the pursuit of a dream? Or is it better to release oneself from the burden of said dream and live blissfully in ignorance, hoping that a “higher power” will eventually see fit to make your dream come true.
While the premise is rife with potential, unfortunately, the movie does not make full use of it, especially when it comes to the antagonist King Magnifico. The concept of a benevolent dictator that fully believes what he is doing is the absolute best course of action to protect his people is very engaging, however, King Magnifico is written as a little too blatantly evil, with no redeeming qualities. He complains about his people being ungrateful and later on consumes their dreams to make himself more powerful. Overall, you get the impression that he’s doing all of this to feel powerful and secure rather than any real love for his people.
The other characters, Asha’s friends and pet goat (Valentino, voiced by Alan Tudyk) are not particularly memorable or fleshed-out either. They are quirky and fun enough, often dropping the one-liners that seem mandatory in modern Disney movies. Even then, none of their jokes land with enough impact to stick in the brain after watching.
This, like many other Disney movies, is a musical, and the movie is peppered with many scenes where the characters spontaneously burst into song. Of course, music is highly subjective, but this writer did not find any of the songs immediately memorable in the way the songs from Frozen, Mulan or The Lion King were. The music did have some cues taken from Pinnochio, specifically the very appropriate When You Wish Upon a Star. On that note, there are a few cameos and references from popular Disney movies of yesteryear, which long-time Disney fans will appreciate.
The art style employed in the movie is made to evoke the look of a fairy tale storybook come to life, and succeeds in that aspect. However, the character designs are somewhat bland. Star, despite being the mascot of the movie, feels somewhat detached visually from the overall art style. Star, with its clean lines and minimalistic design, would feel more at home in a science fiction cartoon or a modern air conditioner commercial.
Overall, Wish is a movie that sounds fascinating on paper, but is ultimately let down by a script, music, and character design that is far too bland to stand as a worthy celebration of Disney’s 100th year anniversary. This movie would be perfectly serviceable if it was made by any other studio, but putting it in comparison with Disney’s other iconic works makes it pale in comparison.
Wish is now screening in theatres near you.
To read more BASKL, click on the links below: