‘Wish’, Disney’s sixty-second classic, is a must watch. The entire list of Easter eggs is virtually impossible to be drawn up exhaustively, and it is crystal-clear to anyone the effort done by the screen-players to remember as many Disney films as it was possible.
Some doubts, however, emerge and, although we do not endorse many of the critiques that have appeared online, it seems right expressing our opinion on some points.
1) Should the aim of Magnifico in “guarding” people’s dreams, making only some of them come true, in his sole discretion, have been more explicit?
Yes. It is probably true that Magnifico represents, at least in part, the established power and that the established power, ever since, does not like courage and the search for Freedom. It should have been explained better, however, by characterizing the character better. Magnifico should have had a second life from the beginning, some secrets to hide, the classic skeleton in the closet… not the simple temptation to consult the cursed book of black (green) magic.
2) Is Asha a good protagonist?
Yes but she is not enough. In our humble opinion, it was used (burned?) too early, in ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’, the idea of the Disney princesses all teaming up together, to help Ralph and Vanellope. In ‘Wish’ as well, Snow White with Elsa, Cinderella with Pocahontas, Moana with Aurora, could have been working all together with Asha. Even some princes, maybe. It would not have been the most original of ideas but, expressed in the right way, she would have caressed the hearts of many of the generations in the theatre.
3) Should Star be anthropomorphic, as well as Trilli in Peter Pan?
In our opinion yes, at least from a certain point in the narrative onward, to fight on equal terms with Magnifico, have a greater personality, be more versatile, have more nuances and offer more to the plot. Of course, Star, like Trilli, makes expert use of her magic dust, and there is, in the film, a guy who looks like Peter…
4) Someone said that, rebus sic stantibus, it would be more logical to consider ‘Once Upon A Studio’ the celebratory film for the Disney centenary, rather than ‘Wish’.
Walt Disney knows…