Disney’s Wish: When Singing Solves Everything

Wish (2023)

Running Time: 1h 35m

Age Rating: PG

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

My Rating: 🌟🌟💫

As I’m free during the whole Christmas season, I decided to go and watch 'Wish'. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of animations and I enjoy Disney movies, so I thought it’d be a good idea to see the movie. But, did I enjoy watching it? So-so…

Well, let me tell you that Wish turned out to be a typical Disney musical with a predictable plot and a happy ending. I’d say it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either; the plot lacked some twists and compelling moments. Honestly, the entire movie felt like it was missing something, and I gotta admit that it was poorly executed. But, overall, it wasn’t a super disaster cause I managed to stick around till the credits rolled.

The film revolves around our main character, Asha, a 17-year-old girl who cares so much about her beloved ones. She lives in the Kingdom of Rosas, founded by the powerful king Magnifico and his wife Queen Amaya.

As the film kicks off, Asha takes us back to the origin story of the kingdom, telling us that King Magnifico believes that there’s nothing more important than a wish that drives your heart and that he cares about the people of his kingdom. And, as a master of sorcery, Magnifico has a special talent to grant wishes to people he chooses in a grand ceremony held once a month.

At first glance, the kingdom looks like a diverse heaven where everyone is super happy that you see visitors dream of calling it their new home. But the catch here is that King Magnifico keeps people’s wishes locked away from them, forcing them to give up the memories of their wishes in exchange for protection. 

So, when Asha has the opportunity to become the apprentice of the king, instead of having her interview, she asks Magnifico to fulfill the wish of her grandpa Sabino on his 100th birthday. However, things took a turn when the king shockingly refused to grant Sabino's wish, suggesting that his wish could threaten his power.

Later on, Magnifico not only refuses to accept Asha as his apprentice but also denies granting any wishes for her family. Poor Asha tries her best to convince her grandfather and mother about Magnifico's deceit, but they can't see the truth.

Feeling hopeless, Asha makes a heartfelt wish upon a star, hoping for a miracle. To her astonishment, the star transforms into a friendly ball of light, which she named Star. With Star's magical powers, Asha's pet goat Valentino, and even the forest animals gain the ability to talk. Asha sees this as an opportunity and asks Star for help in retrieving her family's wishes.

Eventually, everyone across the kingdom knows about Star, and the power-hungry dictator Magnifico begins to feel threatened. So, will Asha be able to bring back the stolen wishes and expose Magnifico's wicked ways? Well, I won’t spoil it for you, but I bet you already know the answer.

Now, let’s talk plot! With its predicted storyline and boring musical scenes, 'Wish' is a mediocre flick that tries to sprinkle some magic on a lackluster plot. I think the movie had the potential to be a magical experience, but unfortunately, it falls flat on delivering a truly captivating story. All we got was musical scenes over and over, and they didn’t quite hit the mark. And if we’re talking comedy, the film falls short. I barely laughed at any of the scenes, but luckily, the supposedly funny moments weren’t cringy.

I wish we had the opportunity to know more about Magnifico’s backstory and motives, what happened to the family he lost, and what made him study magic. Sadly, we don’t get to any of these; they just made him a totally evil king who’s full of himself and thirsty for power.

Regarding the ending, I have to admit that it was so predictable, I immediately knew how the movie was going to end, and I wasn’t so wrong about it, except for Magnifico’s fate, which made no sense. But this is what Disney has always taught us after all; good always wins over evil… yay!

So, here’s my scoop on ‘Wish’, it’s an okay movie; I personally didn’t fully enjoy it or extremely hate it. I’d say the film has a great message to deliver; it reminds us that we all have the right to chase our dreams freely and make our wishes come true without anyone controlling them. And I really appreciate such a message and its impact on everyone, both kids and adults alike. If only the film had been better executed, then maybe I’d have rated it higher. For me, I’d give it 2.5 stars out of 5 only for its noble message and because I loved Star, it was absolutely adorable.