Shadows on the Wall

Wish

dir Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
scr Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore
prd Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones, Peter Del Vecho
voices Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillen, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, Niko Vargas, Jon Rudnitsky
release US/UK 24.Nov.23
23/US Disney 1h35

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While this musical animated adventure is engaging enough to keep children entranced, adults may begin to notice that it's essentially a greatest hits compilation from Disney's 100-year history. From the fantastical fairy-tale setting to the blandly designed characters and contrived plot, nothing feels very original. But there's plenty of charm to keep us watching, a few enjoyably nutty moments and some terrific voice work from an ace cast.

In an island city, King Magnifico (Pine) is a sorcerer who protects his subjects' wishes in his castle, granting them at special ceremonies. Then as she applies to be his apprentice, teen Asha (DeBose) begins to think he's more power-mad than benevolent. One night she asks a star to restore everyone's wishes, and it suddenly drops down to her, giving her pet goat Valentino a voice (Tudyk) and encouraging her to daringly attempt to sneak into the castle with her friends. Meanwhile, Queen Amaya (Cabral) worries that her husband is dabbling in dangerously shady magic.

Kids certainly won't mind the familiarity that infuses this entire movie, complete with references to a range of Disney movies, including a parade of classic characters as the closing credits roll. For grown-ups, there are several genuinely bonkers moments, mainly involving the cheeky little star. The eye-catching animation has an inventive sheen to it, rendered as a storybook brought to life. And the vocal actors bring plenty of energy to the screen, adding soulfulness to the songs.

That said, none of the characters is particularly notable, with their enormous eyes and single-quirk personalities. There's the sparky, fatherless girl with her chatty animal sidekick and adorably scrunchy-faced family. And she has sidekicks of various types, from sardonic doubter (Guillen's Gabo) to dim-bulb hulk (Peters' Simon). And the villain is just a nice guy whose vanity gets the best of him, leading him down a rather startlingly dark path. There's nothing wrong with any of this, but it never quite comes together in a way that resonates on a deeper level.

The central theme is that we should embrace our deepest wishes as the thing that gives our life a sense of purpose. This is a lovely idea, so there are moments that feel sweet and emotional, but it's also rather simplistic. Nobody wants to see a movie about how real life can often crush our hopes, but just a little more nuance in the script might have brought these ideas more powerfully to life. With this movie out of their system, let's hope that Disney gets back to innovation rather than veneration.

themes, violence 20.Nov.23

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