King Magnifico (hammy Chris Pine) asks his subjects to trade their “wishes” for “security.” A spunky teen named Asha (earnest Ariana DeBose) demands the wishes be returned. Disney’s Wish features a malleable premise. The concept of surrendering your “wishes” can be as literal or metaphorical as you choose. The King can represent modern politicians, corporations or Disney itself. Unfortunately, the screenwriters are hindered by IP obligations and a lack of imagination.

Asha’s never asked to question her belief that all wishes are good. Nobody here is wishing to rob a bank or murder their stepdad. This is still Disney. Yet, Magnifico’s not wrong when he says wishes can dangerous. That’s as much nuance as he gets. Soon he grows addicted to dark magic. Cackling and shooting green flames. There’s a hint of a tragic backstory. But any payoff was left on the cutting room floor.  

The screenplay makes room for power ballads, talking animals and jokes about butts. But wait. There’s less. 2023 marks Disney’s 100-year anniversary. So, the film crams in references to other Disney properties. These cameos and easter eggs weigh down the third act. It gets dangerously close to Kingdom Hearts territory.

Wish is not the travesty that some critics have proclaimed. But there’s no spark. What does a populace without wishes look like? One character seems to be suffering from clinical depression. But the rest are still peppy. What does Asha wish? “To have something more for us than this.” The lyric could easily be applied to the lukewarm film.

You can find more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.