One of the United States of America’s grand legacies in terms of entertainment and imagination, The Walt Disney Company turns 100 years old in 2023. A massive anniversary, much has transpired over the last century for Disney. Going from a animation company that famously produced characters such as Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto, they have grown to be a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate with theme parks, various other business branches, and more.
A lot to think about, in truth, the heart of Disney has always been their high-quality animated films. From 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1940’s Pinocchio, 1953’s Peter Pan, 1967’s The Jungle Book, to 1989’s The Little Mermaid, 1994’s The Lion King, 2013’s Frozen, and beyond, there are so many classic films for children of all ages. With this much history, Disney began development of a new animated film in 2018 to celebrate their 100th year with a nod to their past.
Entitled Wish, and released in theaters on November 22, 2023 just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, the new film is full of surprises. Directed by Chris Buck (Tarzan 1999, Frozen 2013) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Moana 2016, Zootopia 2016), from a story written by Jennifer Lee (Wreck-It Ralph 2012, Frozen II 2019), Buck, Veerasunthorn, plus Allison Moore (Powers series, Falling Water series), it also features starring voices such as Ariana DeBose (Hamilton 2020, West Side Story 2021) as film lead Asha, Chris Pine (Star Trek 2009, Wonder Woman 2019) as the vain King Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk (Firefly series, Moana 2016) as the humorous talking goat Valentino. Joining them is a solid cast, well-crafted original music, and a theme that goes far deeper than meets the eye.
Now, it goes without saying that Disney films have always offered a message; whether it be to reserve judgement of others (1991’s Beauty and the Beast), doing what is right (1998’s Mulan), or that being honest is the best way to approach life (1940’s Pinocchio). Just a sample of some of the positive ideas behind their stories, Wish takes a bold stand on individualism and being in control of your own destiny.
In this story, we have King Magnifico, an all-powerful sorcery who establishes the kingdom of Rosas with his wife Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral: Enlisted 2014, Life in Pieces series). Together, they build a magical place where everyone (no matter their background) is welcome to come live and be happy. However, there is one catch, in exchange for this euphoric land where there are no disappointments or struggles, Magnifico requires each citizen to grant him control of their dreams and admirations. With this, he holds everyone’s dreams and controls all aspects of life; providing protection, a place to live, and work for all. Oddly mirroring some real-life societal systems, it all seems fine and dandy until someone like Asha realizes that not all is what it truly seems to be.
Think about it – what is life without trying and potentially failing to succeed?; How will we ever know what could have been if we do not at least make some effort to cultivate our dreams? Is life not full of emotions and we need to learn to manage them all without fear of challenge and struggle? So, when we give up our dreams for the comfort of an even life full of no threat of disappointments, all promised by a higher power, are we not losing the purpose of ourselves? Furthermore, is the idea of a euphoric land really as it seems?
A very intense message to take from an animated film, this is exactly what Wish has to offer. Unfortunately, this is something that perhaps some others might be missing within our strangely similar modern real world of today where we are constantly being told about what is best for us as a collective entity. Wise, Wish takes a bold and inspiring stand everyone can get behind. The best part of it all is that the moral of the story is intelligent enough to grab older viewers’ attention and crafted delicately enough that it is not lost on children; all while being universally family appropriate and not suggestive in any manner.
Beyond these aspects, the animation, characters, and music are all equally lovely. Joining everything, there are nods to Disney characters of the past throughout the film (so pay close attention), but also throughout the film’s final credits (so stay until the last roll). A delightful surprise from Disney and a tale of following your dreams, standing up together, plus more, Cryptic Rock gives Wish 5 out of 5 stars.
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