I grew up watching Disney animated movies so I have a special fondness for them which have mostly been turned into live-action versions with varying degrees of success. My faves are still the classics I saw as a kid, i.e. Bambi, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. Wish is the 62nd Disney animated feature and was created as part of its Centennial celebration (October 16 was Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary. It’s no surprise that Disney turned to Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, the duo behind the behemoth of Frozen which grossed $1.3 Billion. Buck serves as a co-director along with Fawn Veerasunthorn, while Lee co-wrote the script with Allison Moore.

The story centers on a 17-year-old girl named Asha (Ariana DeBose) who lives in the Mediterranean island kingdom of Rosas, ruled by King Magnifico (Chris Pine, perfectly cast as a handsome royal whose people actually thirst for) and his wife Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral). The movie pays homage to classic Disney animated movies right from the start… starting with the epilogue ‘Once Upon a Time’ complete with its antique storybook intro. Asha’s story is decidedly more progressive in that she is no longer pining for a prince or any man for that matter, for her happiness. In fact, she absolutely adores her family, especially her grandfather Sabino (Victor Garber) whose 100th birthday (natch!) coincides with the day of her apprentice job interview with King Magnifico.

The story hinges on the relationship between Asha and Magnifico (no, not in that way) as Asha initially looks up to her king and shares a mission to protect the wishes of the people of Rosas. That is until she finds out that Magnifico doesn’t really have the people’s best interest after all. He refuses to grant Asha’s grandfather’s wish, which he deems ‘dangerous’ because it has the potential to inspire others who in turn might turn against him. Aisha is doubly disappointed when she soon finds out about the king’s true colors. I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise when a king named Magnifico turns out to be a deeply narcissistic and power-hungry man who uses the people’s own wishes as a way to oppress them. Asha later makes a wish upon a star, and suddenly, voila! She ends up with a powerful ally in the form of a cosmic ball of light that drops from the sky.

I love the visuals which combine 3D computer technology with the look of Disney’s traditional hand-drawn animation. The forest looks a lot like the one in Sleeping Beauty while the kingdom of Rosas is made out of a diverse population that reflects various cultures. Asha herself has a darker skin tone and black braided hair, while her bestie Dahlia (Jennifer Kumiyama) is of East Asian descent. Kids would likely adore the anthropomorphic look and expressive face of the star, it’s so playfully energetic that it leaves a trail of pixie dust everywhere it goes. The star’s magical power transforms the tranquil forest as the plants and animals come alive. Asha’s hilariously talkative pet goat Valentino (Alan Tudyk) becomes an instant scene stealer.

While the movie seems to have the makings for a perfect Centennial celebration, Wish is well, lacking that inherent Disney ‘magic’ if you will. The story aims for greatness and the power of self but is chock full of clichés and tropes that don’t really inspire one’s imagination. Given the reaction of the children in the audience, the movie can clearly still capture their attention, but for the rest of us, we can see right through Disney’s self-congratulatory production and all the blatant tribute to self.

I have to admit it’s quite fun to spot the Easter eggs throughout the movie, a wishing well in the forest, a deer named Bambi, Aurora’s dress, etc. Asha’s look seems to be inspired by Pocahontas and obviously, Magnifico’s style and mercurial temperament are modeled after Maleficent who can be charming one minute and terrifying the next. At the same time, having 100+ references to its past work doesn’t exactly translate to a good movie.

Ironically, considering that one of the strengths of Disney classics is the music and songs, Wish is sorely lacking in that department. I realize I shouldn’t complain about the plethora of musical numbers given that it’s billed as a musical fantasy, but I wish the songs were at least catchy.

No offense to Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice who wrote the lyrics and Dave Metzger who composed the music, but listening to Wish’s bland songs makes me dearly miss Alan Menken and Howard Ashman! It’s really a bummer given both DeBose and Pine have such amazing voices, but the melody of the songs just isn’t memorable. Even its anthem This Wish is meh, I think the only ones I enjoyed are Pine’s defiant rendition of This Is the Thanks I Get?! and the rousing battle cry Knowing What I Know Now with the fun drum beats, but I can’t for the life of me remember any of the songs even an hour after the movie is over.

While the creators had a neat idea about how we’re shaped by the dreams we hold dearest in our hearts, overall the movie doesn’t really tug at my heartstrings. I wish this were a more enchanting movie, but no amount of fairy dust on the screen could magically turn a mediocre movie into a magnificent one.

Have you seen Disney’s WISH? Let me know what you think!