IR Film Review: WISH [Disney]
The aspect of Disney animation has evolved but the context of what constitutes an animated movie for them has transformed over the years. The new age of Disney animation constitutes an interesting parallel where with successes like "Frozen", there is the ability to do interesting swings that perhaps move in a more original directions but with harks back to the past. "Wish" stars Ariana DeBose as a new form of Disney heroine in a way: Asha but still with the outsider motif which has always been a stalwart in the Disney lexicon. Asha is a rebel in many ways but she also wants to do what's right. Like Idina Menzel, DeBose can both act and sing and a few of her major anthems including an ensemble piece towards the end really sell this. She has that ability to emote completely through her voice to visualization.
Disney has gotten the 3D animation technology to the point that the process looks infinitely close to hand-drawn though a trained professional can see certain lines. The story itself is about people who come to a kingdom ruled by a wizard/king Magnifico who takes their wishes in what seems initially an effort to protect them but then turns a little darker. However what is missing is his initial backstory as what makes him take this step or why his Queen and wife fell in love with him since she must have seen certain signs of digression. There is a disconnect of empathy when one sees him start to fall to the other side of the timber. It makes sense but tonally it is an odd shift because the motivation, beyond simple power, is not explained well enough. If there was an essence of his past, it would make more sense (even a short flashback). A young man, who was never granted his own wish, is a MacGuffin of sorts but it is never made clear as to why his dreams completely got lost.
The movie delivers on certain points but the best parts are the call outs in certain subtle and unsubtle ways to previous Disney characters (Peter Pan is one). Another highlight is Alan Tudyk as Asha's pet goat Valentino. He gets all the best lines and one particularly trippy sequence in the woods with the main plot device showing his wares is the most out there sequence Disney animation has done in a while, harking back to some of the interesting story angles in the 70s era. "Frozen II" did this as well so it is staying on brand but this pushes the abstraction a bit farther. As the movie keys into its ending, it maybe gets too overwrought and interestingly enough there is almost a parallel ending in reverse to "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" in certain ways. The only letdown again is Magnifico since he is not filled in enough. It is not Chris Pine's fault as his voice is fine and he does imbue it with a bit of humor but not enough to fill in the gaps. B
By Tim Wassberg
