By: Kimberly Grant
When I first saw the trailer for Disney’s Wish, I was barely paying attention because it is a cartoon. But when I realized that the lead character is a bi-racial young woman, it got my attention.
Disney’s Wish is currently in theaters.
When You Wish Upon A Star
We’ve all heard the refrain that is considered one of Disney’s theme songs. We’ve been hearing this song since we were kids, dreaming about going to a theme park that caters to kids and their families. In Wish, our heroine, Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), begins this story full of happiness and hopes of becoming an apprentice to the revered King Magnifico (Chris Pine).
King Magnifico is not only admired for his magical powers, but also for his good looks. The people of Rosas – an island off of the Mediterranean Sea – live a happy existence giving the king their wishes, while secretly hoping that their ultimate wish will be granted by King Magnifico. Unfortunately, the king has other plans with those wishes. When Asha finds out, she’s devastated and makes a powerful wish upon a star.
Naturally, her wish comes true; or there wouldn’t have been a story, which is written by Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore, and Chris Buck and directed by Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. Lee and Buck are the writer and director, respectively, behind Frozen and Frozen II; among other Disney movies. What they’ve created in Wish is inclusive story and empowers children and the adults who go to the movies with them.
Heart of the Movie
Like all Disney movies, Wish includes themes that address current issues in a way that parents and kids can understand. The main theme in Wish is to empower young people who have probably felt powerless given the current social climate. If you think about the level of access most kids have to current events, world news, and even Google, they’re exposed to all kinds things. This theme can also apply to adults.
In Wish, the people of Rosas have willingly given away their ultimate wish (read: desires, hopes, dreams, wants, freedom, etc.) to King Magnifico. Once a wish is given to Magnifico, the giver/person no longer remembers their wish. After having a large collection of wishes, Magnifico chooses random times to give certain people their wish back. Whether someone gets their wish back is based on Magnifico’s will and nothing more.
Not to get too deep into themes, this allegorical tale could definitely relate to our world today. Many people have willingly given up their hopes, dreams, and free will. We’ve given these things up to people in leadership over us, instead of holding them accountable for their misdeeds. We’ve given our time and energy to social media, instead of pursuing our ultimate goals. We’ve even given up our goals and dreams for life changes, like marriage, becoming a parent, or just having people in our lives who tell us we can’t. Following that line of thought, Wish encourages audiences to take back their wishes and do something with their lives.
Entertaining & Inclusive
Like all Disney movies, Wish includes great musical numbers, super cute cartoon characters, and Easter eggs for Disney fans to speculate about. These things include a break-dancing chicken, as well as references to Peter Pan, Cinderella, Bambi, and Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. The cutest character being the little Star that attaches itself to Asha.
DeBose, who voices Asha, is an amazing singer. DeBose played Anita in West Side Story, so she can gladly put actor, singer, and dancer on her resume. One of the things I love about Wish is that Asha is apparently bi-racial. She even wears her hair in braids. Shout out to the animators who did a great job on making Asha’s braids look realistic and using DeBose’s likeness for some inspiration.
There are other great voice talents in this film. Pine voices and loans his good looks to Magnifico. Natasha Rothwell (of Insecure fame), voices Asha’s mother, Sakina. Victor Garber voices Asha’s grandfather, Sabino. Alan Tudyk gives a baby donkey named Valentino a surprisingly deep voice. Ramy Youssef, Harvey Guillen, and Evan Peters give their voices and likenesses as Asha’s friends.
Another thing I like about this film is that it’s inclusive of people of color and all abilities. Jennifer Kumiyama is a wheelchair bound actress and singer and voices Dahlia, a chef who walks with a cane. Niko Vargas is an actor and activist who voices Hal, one of Asha’s friends.
Power Moves
While this is a movie made for kids, adults can get something out of it, too. We, as a society, have spent a lot of time giving up on our deepest wishes. In giving up we have made ourselves complacent and unhappy. Wish reminds us that when we willingly give away our power, we become powerless and sad. This may read wrong, but we have to stop giving people our power. A person, place, or thing is only powerful to the people who allow them to have that power.
Read more reviews from K. A. Grant on her Entertainment Blog.
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