Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Wish Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 7, 2024

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.

A storybook opens, as is so often the case with Disney films, and some quick background information is offered about King Magnifico (Chris Pine), who along with his wife Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral) found a Mediterranean kingdom called Rosas, where Magnifico's experiments with sorcery have allowed him to "collect" his subjects' most ardent wishes, supposedly for safekeeping, though of course that ultimately turns out to not be the case. Magnifico keeps his charges subjugated by having a monthly ceremony where he grants one citizen their wish, in a kind of "lottery" that keeps everyone hopeful. Asha (Ariana DeBose) is a sweet young girl who wants to become an aide to Magnifico, since scuttlebutt has it that the families of Magnifico's assistants always get their wishes granted, and Asha is hoping for that outcome for her (um, "product placement" warning) 100 year old grandfather Sabino (Victor Garber).

Asha soon enough discovers that there's a "dark side" to Magnifico's standard operating procedure, and of course the result is that Asha, Sabino and the rest of Asha's family are more or less exiled from the generally happy if deluded environment of Rosas. When Asha takes it upon herself to "wish upon a star", lo and behold, a star actually answers, and descends to earth in a form that kind of comically may remind some of the yellow titular character in Teletubbies. Star (as Asha dubs it) spreads that traditional "Disney magic" around pretty liberally from the get go, meaning animals start talking and a sense of unbridled joy stars spreading throughout Rosas. Needless to say, Magnifico feels threatened by the change in the "vibe" of his kingdom, and sets out to maintain and even increase his hold over his subjects. Can Asha prevail against seemingly insurmountable forces? Hey, this is a Disney animated feature, so what do you think?

If that overall plot arc is kind of a "meta" referent to virtually every Disney animated film you've ever seen, Wish is stuffed to (Dory's?) gills with either allusions to or outright representations of a huge array of iconic Disney offerings. Some of these are detailed in one of the supplements on this disc, but as even that supplement mentions, there are numerous others to be found, and so the film, whatever its perceived deficits, can be rather fun on a "snark hunt" level as viewers can attempt to ferret out various linkages. One that may initially be subliminal though it's ultimately revealed enough that it's no big secret, involves a septet of helpers who surround Asha, which should be more than enough of a clue to any diehard Disney fan.

Wish is elegantly produced, with a whimsical visual sense that brings the characters wonderfully to life in the time honored Disney way, but the film just feels listless and kind of curiously uninspired, though it has the general technical excellence that almost always is part and parcel of a Disney animated effort. It also has one of the least effective song scores I've personally ever heard in a Disney feature, either live action or animated. There have been so many great songwriters who have contributed classics to the Disney musical canon, including Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline, the Sherman Brothers, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, and those arguably a bit less associated with musical theater per se like Elton John, Billy Joel, Phil Collins and Peggy Lee, and so there has admittedly been a huge gamut of styles and approaches over the many decades of what might be generically called "the Disney musical". But, wow, are the songs in Wish ever haphazard sounding, with lyric "scans" that are almost willfully asymmetric and non-uniform and at times just flat out weird, where the wrong "sylLAble" can be repeatedly emphasized in any number of entries. Rhymes are often casual at best and downright sloppy at worst, and certainly never would have passed muster with the "exact rhymes only" likes of someone like Stephen Sondheim or frankly even Howard Ashman. Co-songwriter and lyricist Julia Michaels is evidently very successful in the pop world (though I had frankly never heard of her before this), but I have to say the songs in particular were a real let down for me personally in this effort. Interestingly in that regard, though, I'd rate Dave Metzger's actual underscore as rather beautiful, with some nice uses of various percussion instruments in particular.

Wish Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wish is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.55:1. Perhaps surprisingly, this had "only" a 2K DI, but with animated fare that "lesser" resolution may be of relatively little importance, and this high definition presentation is often stunning, especially from a palette reproduction perspective. 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. Detail levels are typically excellent throughout, with really solid line detail, but I think it's going to be the really gorgeous array of hues that captures a lot of the attention, at least for first time viewers. 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.

Wish Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney once again offers different audio codecs on its 1080 and 4K UHD presentations, though I have to say the differences between this disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track and the 4K disc's Dolby Atmos track are relatively insignificant in my personal opinion. While there may be some increased verticality in moments like Star's descent from the heavens, the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track provides clear and consistent immersion in terms of both swirling ambient environmental effects and all of the musical elements. 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.

Wish Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Play Movie and Sing Along with the Movie options are accessible under the Play Menu.


• Once Upon a Studio (HD; 8:48) is an absolutely lovely homage to the incredible Disney animated legacy. That's real life Disney artist Burny Mattinson in the opening live action moments.


• 100 Years in the Making: The Story of Wish (HD; 1:04:14) is a really interesting multi-part documentary that offers some good interviews (conducted as part of roundtables with various participants).


• Wish D-Classified (HD; 6:27) offers a brief "easter egg" overview of references to other Disney films contained within this film.


• Outtakes (HD; 2:44) offers some live action voicework moments.


• Deleted Song "A Wish Worth Making" with introduction by Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn (HD; 2:54)


• Deleted Scenes with introductions by Head of Story Mark Kennedy (HD; 22:02)


• Song Selection allows direct access to the film's songs.

Disney sent their 4K UHD SteelBook edition for purposes of this 1080 review, but it looks like the standalone 1080 release offers DVD and digital copies, with packaging featuring a slipcover.

Wish Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.