If you want to test your Disney knowledge, grab a copy of “Wish.”
It’s so stuffed with subtle and not-so-subtle references to past films you don’t know whether to be thrilled or incensed.
Coming on the 100th anniversary of something (the day Walt doodled?), it’s likely an homage to the the past. But it sure could have used a better script.
Sharp-witted idealist Asha (voice of Ariana DeBose) makes a wish so powerful, it’s answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star in the new animated film, "Wish."
Naturally, there’s a princess – or princess to be.
“Wish” follows a 17-year-old as she applies to apprentice King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), who can make wishes come true. Unfortunately, he’s not very generous. When young Asha (Ariana DeBose) pushes her grandfather’s case, the king becomes indignant and plays the “what about me” card. She sees him for what he’s worth and does a little of her own wishing, which brings a star-like creature into her life. In no time, she’s mounting a challenge to his authority and getting a cadre of characters on her side.
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Before you even realize Peter Pan is in this mix (no kidding), you’ll have witnessed comparisons to moments in “Aladdin,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella” and “Frozen.”
Chris Pine voices King Magnifico in "Wish."
Making Asha’s friends counterparts to the Seven Dwarfs is purely intentional.
The story, though, doesn’t provide anything new. Even the songs have a worn quality and predictable rhyming schemes.
The only surprises are Pine’s singing ability (he’s good) and Alan Tudyk’s vocal versatility (he’s super as the goat Valentino).
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” Asha’s pajama-wearing goat Valentino makes the most of the magic that accompanies a little ball of boundless energy called Star.
The rest is like it was cooked up for a theme park fireworks show.
Set in a Mediterranean country called Rosas, “Wish” suggests the king holds his citizen’s wishes in his castle. When he grants one or two, hopes are dashed and the country goes into a funk that even a singing 17-year-old can’t lift.
The star (which looks like a Funko Pop) gets Asha to reorder her priorities and take on the guy she wanted to assist. That means violent rages can only be a song away. (On that note, the music sounds like early-draft Lin-Manuel Miranda. DeBose can sell them, but even a 6-year-old would see the words aren’t quite up to karaoke standards.)
The screenplay, meanwhile, seems like something that emerges from an office forced to invest in a failing 401k plan. It hints at tyranny but presses on because it’s better than nothing.
When the happy ending finally arrives, directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn don’t hesitate to toss in fireworks that resemble the outline of Mickey Mouse. It’s as if someone said Disney needed a film that would pay tribute to the company’s 100th anniversary and, darn, if this isn’t it.
While the success of “Little Mermaid” and “Frozen” may have corrupted the system, it didn’t need to go this far in pandering to everything that worked once upon a time.
“Wish” isn’t original or all that entertaining. It’s what you sit through while you wait for the parade to begin.
Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
