LIKES:
The Animation -Disney knows how to make things flow, a studio that can capitalize on their swollen budget and invest in making such engaging movements.
-Anatomical accuracy is captured well, animals moving about with correct form, only straying to human dimensions in a small amount when necessary.
-It flows and moves in a poetic style, with a dynamic energy to match the magic being cast in this movie. And the color that goes with it starts to feel like something out of Fantasia in terms of splendor and flow.
-All in all, the animation still continues to prove Disney's elite level of making the unreal come to life in a way, and give us a treat for the eyes.
The Voice Work -Animation relies on voice actors to bring characters to life, and our crew has managed to bring a cornucopia of talent that helps this feat.
-Tudyk is still as fun as ever. His versatility is incredible, this time making a baby goat with a smooth velvety voice his primary objective. He accomplished much with his direction, delivering some great lines to appeal to many ages.
-Pine sounds like, well Pine. His voice is perfect for the illustrious king, very poignant, charming, exciting, and yet still holding hints of rough nature. He pretty much is playing a generic Disney role and doesn't quite have the flair, but also is no slouch.
-DeRose as Asha is great. A modern princess take, with a sensational voice that shows control over emotion, pitch, and delivery, I liked the work she granted the latest princess.
The Design -It's an odd style, but I liked the blend of 2d and 3d animation styles into this hybrid granting an almost cell-shaded game like approach.
-It holds the smooth movements of computer, but the color and energy of the original 2-D style and I think it accomplishes much for the presentations this movie chose.
-Is it weird? Yes! In a way though, it works, as a sort of catch all to help make things pop for all the styles integrated into this movie.
The Music Songs Themselves... Mostly -Disney has proven they can make a big soundtrack with songs that top the charts in sales. Wish is another success, to some degree, in my book.
-A style that feels one part rock opera and another part theatrical stage show, the movie has plenty of that composer feel to it and perhaps the more unique aspect of the film.
-Ballads are powerful and expressive of their dreams, catchy and yet beautiful at the same time. While other songs hold more engagement with their visual numbers than the song alone.
-The product is another collection of good numbers that may be more of the focus and goal than the story itself, but one in which avid Disney music lovers will fall and repeat for years to come.
The Inspiration -Perhaps heavier than other films, Wish is packed with a lot of things to teach the lessons to motivate the audience to do great things.
-The story itself is a bit preachy on this, trying to rub it in my face the importance of dreams and how to make them come true.
-However, I appreciate the lesson, despite the presentation, and found that some of the other character arcs at least tried to tie to this and help push the story.
-Add in the theatrical music and the animated drawing holding such powerful control of emotions, and I felt they accomplished the inspirational tone they were seeking.
Star: -The ultimate merchandising in this movie, the cute little character is my favorite one of the film.
-For not saying anything, the little guy has a lot of heart and character, his emoting by far some of the cutest aspects I've seen in a while and somehow the most diverse of the group.
-He does so much with his little form, knitting, pranking, and somehow inspiring himself, he is an adorable movie wrapped in a small bundle, one to surely be exploited by the House of Mouse.
The Easter Eggs -The movie is a big homage to the history of the studio, and well... it's probably the biggest focus of this movie, or at least bigger than they imagined.
-Disney lovers are going to love finding all the references and inspiration in this movie, cameos galore sprinkled throughout for one to see, or in many cases listen, to what the writers wished to acknowledge.
-Even the credits pay homage to the magic of the studios and what came before, a stunning finish with a song that helps add the ambience to fans like me who love the cartoons released over the 100 years.
-And the End Credit scene holds a weighted tribute to the man who started it all, and while not necessarily the most mind blowing, it does soothe the heart and soul.
DISLIKES:
The Characters So Auxiliary -Outside of the goat and the star, most of the rest of the characters are rather plain, boring, and a dull reference and cultural card than anything else.
-Most of the characters have a gimmick, but often used in the singing and comedic roles, with little else.
-Given characters like Pumba, Mrs. Potts, and the Dwarves, you would think they can accomplish more than spitting out one-liners and a some very limited action moments that hold little weight.
-Such a shame given the strong work that Disney was known for doing so long ago.
Story -Outside of the inspiration, the story really doesn't hold any magic for me either.
-A rather bland story of unoriginal tales, the unique factor is mediocre and just lacking the splendor the animation has.
-I found the tale rushed, full of the bland challenges and weak development that really felt robbed like the wishes of the kingdom.
-So much potential, but so lost to the music and hidden references that what we got was a quick, almost novella story that will be good for those with small attention spans.
-Such a shame.
Placement Of Music -Another gimmick feeling aspect, the music is again good, passionate, and magical, but the placement feels a very modern motif.
-Previous films found the ideal place to put a song, or use it to convey thoughts, feelings, and storytelling that fans have dissected for years.
-Wish felt like Frozen in a sense, lots of songs in one movie, weaker and filling space, seeming just odd to break out into song and dance. A little more tact might have made the song even more impressive
Jokes Are Mediocre And Kiddish -What happened to the double entendre jokes, the clever puns and misunderstandings, or even the well-executed insults?
-Wish has none of that for me. More so forced emotional delivery, kiddy emphasis on butts and spit, and sounding like a social media stars trying to quote a scene like the character and failing.
-Only a few jokes escaped this style, but for the most part, I felt a lot of influencer vibes in the writing, which just isn't my style given the track record of this movie.
Weaker Antagonist -This was sad given again the potential of Disney villains.
-Maleficent, Scar, Gaston, and Rattigan, these and more had design, class, skills, and backing that made them so much fun to fight in the movies and games.
-But Magnifico, outside of the design to look like his actor, is kind of lame. He's cunning sure, but that's it. No major groundbreaking moves, a rather tame use of his powers, and even a boring climactic fight did little to make him memorable.
-It's not he's a bad character, just again, rushed and forgettable, lost in the flood of things crammed into about 80 minutes of actual movie.
Overall Forgettable -The movie is unfortunately not the magnificent production this company promoted for the 100th anniversary.
-It's a movie that feels too full of stuff, gimmicks, music, and references superseding the story and flow, to make a rather lacking film.
-I see many of my friends enjoying this who are die hard Disney fans, young kids that are like them, or just all about singing songs and finding homage touching.
-But for me, it needed more time, more planning, a better story and better use of these ideas to balance into the story and fully cast the Disney spell they can do.
THE VERDICT: I'm sure you can guess, but Wish did not have the magic I had hoped it would have. While the animation and design are beautiful, and the voice acting helps bring some fun, the movie is really more about finding the hidden gems than actually telling that Disney feeling story. A rushed mess of mediocrity with weaker side characters, a boring antagonist and paying too many cards without planning, it feels like storytelling remains a tertiary objective for the House of Mouse.. At least the music, no matter how oddly placed, was able to maximize the inspiration and give you the hope that dreams can come true, just in time for the holiday season. Is this a go for the theater? In a way yes, the sound system does wonders for the music, and 3D could be fun as you ride the nostalgia with a star in the lead. But story and majestic wise... well... that might be best left for a home viewing.
My scores are: Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0.
The Animation -Disney knows how to make things flow, a studio that can capitalize on their swollen budget and invest in making such engaging movements.
-Anatomical accuracy is captured well, animals moving about with correct form, only straying to human dimensions in a small amount when necessary.
-It flows and moves in a poetic style, with a dynamic energy to match the magic being cast in this movie. And the color that goes with it starts to feel like something out of Fantasia in terms of splendor and flow.
-All in all, the animation still continues to prove Disney's elite level of making the unreal come to life in a way, and give us a treat for the eyes.
The Voice Work -Animation relies on voice actors to bring characters to life, and our crew has managed to bring a cornucopia of talent that helps this feat.
-Tudyk is still as fun as ever. His versatility is incredible, this time making a baby goat with a smooth velvety voice his primary objective. He accomplished much with his direction, delivering some great lines to appeal to many ages.
-Pine sounds like, well Pine. His voice is perfect for the illustrious king, very poignant, charming, exciting, and yet still holding hints of rough nature. He pretty much is playing a generic Disney role and doesn't quite have the flair, but also is no slouch.
-DeRose as Asha is great. A modern princess take, with a sensational voice that shows control over emotion, pitch, and delivery, I liked the work she granted the latest princess.
The Design -It's an odd style, but I liked the blend of 2d and 3d animation styles into this hybrid granting an almost cell-shaded game like approach.
-It holds the smooth movements of computer, but the color and energy of the original 2-D style and I think it accomplishes much for the presentations this movie chose.
-Is it weird? Yes! In a way though, it works, as a sort of catch all to help make things pop for all the styles integrated into this movie.
The Music Songs Themselves... Mostly -Disney has proven they can make a big soundtrack with songs that top the charts in sales. Wish is another success, to some degree, in my book.
-A style that feels one part rock opera and another part theatrical stage show, the movie has plenty of that composer feel to it and perhaps the more unique aspect of the film.
-Ballads are powerful and expressive of their dreams, catchy and yet beautiful at the same time. While other songs hold more engagement with their visual numbers than the song alone.
-The product is another collection of good numbers that may be more of the focus and goal than the story itself, but one in which avid Disney music lovers will fall and repeat for years to come.
The Inspiration -Perhaps heavier than other films, Wish is packed with a lot of things to teach the lessons to motivate the audience to do great things.
-The story itself is a bit preachy on this, trying to rub it in my face the importance of dreams and how to make them come true.
-However, I appreciate the lesson, despite the presentation, and found that some of the other character arcs at least tried to tie to this and help push the story.
-Add in the theatrical music and the animated drawing holding such powerful control of emotions, and I felt they accomplished the inspirational tone they were seeking.
Star: -The ultimate merchandising in this movie, the cute little character is my favorite one of the film.
-For not saying anything, the little guy has a lot of heart and character, his emoting by far some of the cutest aspects I've seen in a while and somehow the most diverse of the group.
-He does so much with his little form, knitting, pranking, and somehow inspiring himself, he is an adorable movie wrapped in a small bundle, one to surely be exploited by the House of Mouse.
The Easter Eggs -The movie is a big homage to the history of the studio, and well... it's probably the biggest focus of this movie, or at least bigger than they imagined.
-Disney lovers are going to love finding all the references and inspiration in this movie, cameos galore sprinkled throughout for one to see, or in many cases listen, to what the writers wished to acknowledge.
-Even the credits pay homage to the magic of the studios and what came before, a stunning finish with a song that helps add the ambience to fans like me who love the cartoons released over the 100 years.
-And the End Credit scene holds a weighted tribute to the man who started it all, and while not necessarily the most mind blowing, it does soothe the heart and soul.
DISLIKES:
The Characters So Auxiliary -Outside of the goat and the star, most of the rest of the characters are rather plain, boring, and a dull reference and cultural card than anything else.
-Most of the characters have a gimmick, but often used in the singing and comedic roles, with little else.
-Given characters like Pumba, Mrs. Potts, and the Dwarves, you would think they can accomplish more than spitting out one-liners and a some very limited action moments that hold little weight.
-Such a shame given the strong work that Disney was known for doing so long ago.
Story -Outside of the inspiration, the story really doesn't hold any magic for me either.
-A rather bland story of unoriginal tales, the unique factor is mediocre and just lacking the splendor the animation has.
-I found the tale rushed, full of the bland challenges and weak development that really felt robbed like the wishes of the kingdom.
-So much potential, but so lost to the music and hidden references that what we got was a quick, almost novella story that will be good for those with small attention spans.
-Such a shame.
Placement Of Music -Another gimmick feeling aspect, the music is again good, passionate, and magical, but the placement feels a very modern motif.
-Previous films found the ideal place to put a song, or use it to convey thoughts, feelings, and storytelling that fans have dissected for years.
-Wish felt like Frozen in a sense, lots of songs in one movie, weaker and filling space, seeming just odd to break out into song and dance. A little more tact might have made the song even more impressive
Jokes Are Mediocre And Kiddish -What happened to the double entendre jokes, the clever puns and misunderstandings, or even the well-executed insults?
-Wish has none of that for me. More so forced emotional delivery, kiddy emphasis on butts and spit, and sounding like a social media stars trying to quote a scene like the character and failing.
-Only a few jokes escaped this style, but for the most part, I felt a lot of influencer vibes in the writing, which just isn't my style given the track record of this movie.
Weaker Antagonist -This was sad given again the potential of Disney villains.
-Maleficent, Scar, Gaston, and Rattigan, these and more had design, class, skills, and backing that made them so much fun to fight in the movies and games.
-But Magnifico, outside of the design to look like his actor, is kind of lame. He's cunning sure, but that's it. No major groundbreaking moves, a rather tame use of his powers, and even a boring climactic fight did little to make him memorable.
-It's not he's a bad character, just again, rushed and forgettable, lost in the flood of things crammed into about 80 minutes of actual movie.
Overall Forgettable -The movie is unfortunately not the magnificent production this company promoted for the 100th anniversary.
-It's a movie that feels too full of stuff, gimmicks, music, and references superseding the story and flow, to make a rather lacking film.
-I see many of my friends enjoying this who are die hard Disney fans, young kids that are like them, or just all about singing songs and finding homage touching.
-But for me, it needed more time, more planning, a better story and better use of these ideas to balance into the story and fully cast the Disney spell they can do.
THE VERDICT: I'm sure you can guess, but Wish did not have the magic I had hoped it would have. While the animation and design are beautiful, and the voice acting helps bring some fun, the movie is really more about finding the hidden gems than actually telling that Disney feeling story. A rushed mess of mediocrity with weaker side characters, a boring antagonist and paying too many cards without planning, it feels like storytelling remains a tertiary objective for the House of Mouse.. At least the music, no matter how oddly placed, was able to maximize the inspiration and give you the hope that dreams can come true, just in time for the holiday season. Is this a go for the theater? In a way yes, the sound system does wonders for the music, and 3D could be fun as you ride the nostalgia with a star in the lead. But story and majestic wise... well... that might be best left for a home viewing.
My scores are: Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0.