Movie · 2023 · Animation, Family, Fantasy, Adventure · 1h 35m · PG · English
Curator score: 0.6/10 (264.5K ratings)
Be careful what you wish for.
Overview
Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force – a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe - the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico - to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.6/10
IMDb: 5.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.27/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Metacritic: 47
TMDB: 6.2/10
Director
Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Production
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cast
Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén, Niko Vargas, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, Jon Rudnitsky, Della Saba, Keone Young, Lucas Sigler, Holland Watkins, Woody Buck, Efé, Nicole Lynn Evans, Heather Matarazzo
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, family-friendly fantasy with a strong premise and a few appealing ideas, but it lands as undercooked, musically forgettable, and dramatically flat. It may still work for very young viewers or Disney completists, but most audiences will find better-animated wish-fulfillment stories elsewhere.
Best for
young children
Disney completionists
viewers who want a simple, colorful fantasy with minimal intensity
families looking for an easy streaming choice
Skip if
you want memorable songs
you expect sharp satire or layered storytelling
you’re hoping for top-tier Disney animation
you’re sensitive to bland or formulaic plotting
Overview
Wish has the bones of a classic studio fairy tale: a plucky heroine, a magical companion, a tyrannical ruler, and a community in need of hope. The setup is clean and the animation is bright, but the movie rarely turns that setup into something emotionally or musically distinctive enough to stand out from the long shadow of Disney’s better modern entries.
Worth noting
The biggest issue is that it feels engineered rather than inspired. Its songs, jokes, and character beats arrive with the right ingredients but not much spark, which makes the whole thing fade quickly after the credits. Even the central conflict, while thematically sound, is handled in a way that feels safe and obvious.
Bottom line
That said, the film is not without charm. Its sincerity is real, and younger viewers may respond to the straightforward heroism and magical imagery. But for most audiences, this is a pass unless you’re specifically in the mood for a lightweight, inoffensive family fantasy and don’t mind that it never quite becomes magical itself.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (2★) · 7370 likes
I will forget everything about this movie by tomorrow
Matt Patches (1★) · 5083 likes
Wish they hadn’t
Cartoonshi (1★) · 4075 likes
The first Disney movie to have song lyrics generated by ChatGPT
Sean Fennessey · 3385 likes
My first moviegoing experience with my daughter. Unforgettable.
Jessica Wessica (2★) · 3290 likes
My favorite part was when Asha met King Slotslights and he said "Go to Slotslight dot gov to win real money"