6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In the Kingdom of las Rosas, located off of the Iberian Peninsula, a 17-year-old girl named Asha senses a darkness that no one else does about the kingdom's ruler, King Magnífico. This eventually leads to her trying to make a passionate plea to the stars in a moment of need. Soon, an actual star from the sky named Star answers Asha's wish. After the star falls from the sky, it is revealed that the star has magical powers to grant wishes as well. Together, Asha and Star must overcome the evils rising in Rosas and fight for a better future for their people.
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor GarberFamily | 100% |
Animation | 99% |
Fantasy | 64% |
Adventure | 59% |
Musical | 36% |
Comedy | 35% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.55:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Japanese: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: Disney has partnered with Wal-Mart to release a 4K UHD version of Wish in SteelBook packaging. As of the writing of this
review, this is the only 4K UHD version of the film available.
It was well nigh impossible to miss the "Disney 100" branding the venerable studio engaged in throughout 2023. It was on disc packaging, it was on
discs, it accompanied virtually any visual offering of any kind, that, while not necessarily limited to home theater product, included Disney's
own logo. It was therefore with undeniably noble intentions that the creatives at Disney decided to honor their centennial with a "very special"
animated feature that would somehow sum up the entirety of the Disney canon. That may have been a fool's errand at best, for with that glut of
material to somehow reference, this "new, improved" iteration of Disney's longtime theme song "when you wish upon a star" ends up
feeling blandly generic more than anything, without the very "specificity" that is heralded as a Disney hallmark in the main making of featurette
included on this disc. In terms of providing an homage to Disney's legacy, a considerably more compact and arguably effective production is the
Once Upon a Studio short also included as an extra, where instead of "referencing" Disney animated efforts, they're overtly all together on the
screen, at least in terms of the major characters inhabiting those many films.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this package.
Wish is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.55:1. I was a bit surprised
to see the IMDb lists a 2K DI for this feature, but from a purely observational level, the 4K UHD presentation takes an already excellent 1080
presentation and at least materially improves some detail levels while offering an even more gorgeously saturated version of the film's really amazing
looking (and wide ranging) palette. The design aesthetic here is what I might term the 2023-ish version of the midcentury
modern approach that graced Disney's Sleeping Beauty,
though with a more robust dimensionality (as has been the case over the past few years, Disney is not offering a 3D release as of the writing of this
review). Comparing the 1080 and 2160 versions reveals subtle but still noticeable upticks in detail levels on everything from some of the patterns on
costumes to the texturing on the "wish globes", but it's the palette where things probably are the most gobsmacking, despite the disc's absence of
Dolby Vision (which is advertised in the closing credits). There's a really beautiful emphasis on teals and purples
that play well off of Star's bright yellow, with hints of what might be called "traditional Disney evil green" permeating the climax in particular. If Star
itself is a little fuzzy looking, other characters are rendered with typically excellent precision, whether those be humans, animals, or even plant life in
the forest.
While this disc offers a Dolby Atmos track which is wonderfully immersive and offers at least occasional verticality, I really would be hard pressed to detail any huge difference between this audio rendering and the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track offered on Disney's 1080 release of the film. There is some clear engagement of the Atmos speakers in moments like Star's descent from the heavens, and arguably some noticeably increased all encompassing surround activity in some of the "swirling" moments where Star's effects begin to be felt by the populace of Rosas and later in the film's hyperbolic climax, but otherwise this track provides a rather similar listening experience to the excellent and problem free DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 version. There's some really nice separation and clear engagement of various side and/or rear channels with regard to some of the batteries of percussion instruments in the underscore in particular that helps to create really fulsome surround effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
The 4K UHD disc in this package contains no supplementary features. The 1080 disc offers the following bonus items:
Wish is a beautiful looking film, but it tells a story that is probably too generic to ever resonate very strongly. A curiously inartful song score also tends to distract rather than energize, leaving the bulk of the entertainment value in the visuals, which are typically sumptuous. Technical merits are first rate and the supplements very enjoyable, and the "snark hunt" aspect of the film may offer some fun for anyone who may be considering making a purchase. This is the rare release where a middling film's disc is bolstered by excellent technical merits and very enjoyable supplements, and I'd say those inclined to make this part of their collection should probably opt for this release, which offers both 4K and 1080 resolutions in some very handsome packaging.
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Ultimate Collector's Edition
2019
2016
The Signature Collection | Ultimate Collector's Edition
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Ultimate Collector's Edition
2013
2021
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2016
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
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2023
2018-2019
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2008
Dance Party Edition
2020
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2015
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60th Anniversary Edition
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20th Anniversary Edition
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