Film Review: Wish is Disney's best since Frozen

Wish (PG) opens with Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) telling us all about the wonderful Magnifico (Chris Pine), a great sorcerer who rules over the idyllic Mediterranean island of Rosas and regularly grants his people their wishes.

The kicker, alas, is that you earn the right to live on Rosas by first giving your wish to Magnifico, and when Asha discovers that Magnifico’s magic is derived from the wishes he hoards, and his benign rule disguises an insatiable lust for power, she vows to reunite the people and their wishes.

Wish dives deep into fairytale lore and dotted with references to Disney’s animated classics, the story turns when Asha wishes upon a star, and quickly establishes the crucial difference between good and evil magic.

It sounds a tad simplistic, but there’s quite a bit operating beneath the surface. It is chock-a-block with hummable songs, and boasts straightforward storytelling to entertain a young audience and a subtle complexity to satisfy all but the most cynical. 

Pure, undistilled fairytale, it’s probably the best mainstream animation since Frozen.