A few weeks ago, in honor of their 100th anniversary, the Walt Disney Company released its 62nd animated film. Wishes serves as the origin story for Disney's iconic wishing star.
Before Geppetto and Tiana wished on stars, Asha did the same thing. Wish follows King Magnifico, who studied wishes and built the kingdom of Rosas with his wife Amaya. There, he protected everyone's wishes until he decided to grant them at a regular ceremony.
When Asha became the first to argue with King Magnifico, he became Disney's first memorable villain since Mother Gothel from Tangled (or even Prince Hans from Frozen). Even with Amaya's counseling, King Magnifico expressed pride over his control of the kingdom's wishes. After Asha called Star out of the sky, the king had a plan to punish her for it. He becomes crueler from then on.
Not only did Wish bring back great villainy, but it also presented a fresh yet familiar animation style. The animated storybook opening charmed me as did the 2D facial animation featured in the pages and chalk drawing. The background also has a watercolor design that hasn't been seen since, maybe, Lilo and Stitch.
The best part of the film, though, was Star. He is Disney's most adorable sidekick, their version Super Mario Galaxy's luma. Even though Star does not speak, he contributes to the plot by granting Valentino, Asha's pet goat, and other animals and plants the ability to talk. That ability shocks Asha and nods to Disney's former trope of talking plants and animals. Plus, Star tries to protect the wishes from King Magnifico's attacks.
Wish features several references from earlier animated films. For instance, one villager wishes to fly among birds. Asha's hair also blows like Pocahontas's did when singing "Colors of the Wind." Asha's seven friends also represent the seven dwarves, even though there are two girls in the group. The credits feature constellations depicting almost all Disney animated films, too.
The references have been a point of criticism for the film. However, since Wish intends to tell the story of Disney's wishing star which so many characters wished on, they make sense.
Asha shines as Disney's first Afro-Latina princess. Her backstory of wishing for her father's recovery explains her desire to make sure everyone's wishes come true. Asha's family dynamic is also unique; she lives with her mother and grandfather. However, there is one huge problem: her quirky personality. Rapunzel was locked in a tower, Anna was isolated from Elsa, and Mirabel had to hide her feelings. Since Asha had no similar situation, making her quirky is a lazy move. I also wish they went more into Asha's internal conflict and her relationship with her family and friends.
The songs have a unique beat and expand the story and characters, as all Broadway-style songs should do. However, there is only one song I would listen to. Besides, the opening song, "Welcome to Rosas," has a title that is structurally similar to Encanto's "The Family Madrigal."
Overall, Wish is an enjoyable film. It has some issues, such as its rather one-dimensional characters, but it benefits from a fresh animation style, cruel villain, lovable sidekicks, unique songs, and a homage of references. This makes Wish especially appealing to fans of Disney's animated films.
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