I remember when the Rolling Stones released their “Some Girls” album. There was a great hue and cry that their single “Miss You” was basically a disco song masquerading as pop-blues. How dare they turn their backs on their loyal fans and bend to the latest music fad! Later, with the release of their “Steel Wheels,” “Voodoo Lounge” and “Bridges to Babylon” albums, the lament was that these works were the same old thing, no new ground was being broken, and the band was just coasting on past successes.
That’s the curse of the longtime artist — you’re initially celebrated for your uniqueness, chastised from deviating from your established norm and ultimately condemned for doing the same old thing. I was thinking of this as I watched Disney’s “Wish,” the 62nd animated feature from the Mouse House, released to celebrate the studio’s 100th anniversary. Is it a classic that will be mentioned in the same breath as “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo” or “Frozen?” Not likely. Will it be forgotten like the misfires “Oliver and Company,” “Home on the Range” and “Strange World?” We’ll see …
Sitting at a 50 percent approval (disapproval?) rating on Rotten Tomatoes and opening to a disappointing $49 million internationally against a $200 million(?) budget, much of the criticism regarding “Wish” is that it follows the Disney formula, replicating the same beats of their classics and containing characters that could easily be swapped for numerous others.
Granted, all of this is true, but there’s no question no one does the Disney formula like Disney, and “Wish” is a solid example of the product that put the studio on the map. Its familiarity works as an asset, it benefits from a couple snappy tunes and is driven by an enthusiastic, nuanced voice performance from Chris Pine as Magnifico, one of the more interesting villains to appear in a Disney film in quite some time.
The locale is Rosas, a magical land whose citizens live lives of contentment and safety. This is provided by the wizard Magnifico, who asks a seemingly small price for the security they cherish. All one must do is give him your fondest wish. You will forget you ever had it, and it MAY be granted at a later date. These wishes are stored in luminous blue globes that float in the wizard’s castle and have done so for years, no one objecting to this Faustian bargain.
However, our heroine, Asha (Ariana DeBose), comes to realize not all is right in this Edenistic environment. Interviewing to be Magnifico’s apprentice, she gets him to talk about his true purpose and comes to realize his hoarding of dreams is more about maintaining control over his kingdom than protecting those who live there. Despairing, she makes a wish of her own, so powerful it’s personified as an eternally smiling, luminous star. With it and her suddenly talking goat, Valentino (Alan Tudyk), she sets out to expose Magnifico and make things right.
Again, nothing new here, but “Welcome to Rosas” and “This is the Thanks I Get!” are toe tappers that rousingly move things along. And the timely nature of the film’s messages makes it noteworthy. The importance of never giving up on your dream may seem hokey, yet it remains vital, as does the notion that it’s the collectives’ responsibility to oppose any dictatorship that may arise. The movie may be obvious in its intent and execution, but its theme still needs to be heard, especially when done with the degree of conviction on display here.
‘Wish’ ★★★ Cast: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Evan Peters, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillen and Niko Vargas. Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn; produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones; screenplay by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore. A Disney Films release. 95 minutes. Rated PG (thematic elements and mild action). At AMC Champaign 13 and Savoy 16 IMAX.
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