Credit: DisneyIs Wish truly Disney’s most mish-mashed musical, or is it simply a case of mistaken delivery?
Disney’s Wish (2023) has been called divisive at best and disappointing at worst, but that doesn’t mean it was a failure. By most accounts, this might just be Walt Disney Animation Studio’s rough draft, and the company can learn from this stumbling block.
The adventures of Asha (Ariana DeBose) and her adventure to save the wishes of Rosas from the evil spell of King Magnifico (Chris Pine) with her enchanted goat undoubtedly did many things right but missed the mark on several key Disney elements.
Is Wish Overhated or Over-Rated?
Despite being billed as Disney’s dream comeback, Wish has proven to be a financial nightmare. In order to be considered a success, the $200 million dollar film needs to rake in at least $400 million at the box office, and it currently sits at $83,473,268 worldwide. Compared to Disney’s previous success with Frozen 2 at $1,453,683,476 worldwide, Wish is barely scratching the surface
An article from Collider stated that while Wish had several elements amiss, its primary sin was its choice of soundtrack. Although the article reminds fans about what made Disney musicals great in the first place, it was also quick to point out the new movie’s most significant flaws.
Related: 2D Films Are Making a Comeback at Disney Animation, Director Teases
For the most part, Wish’s songs were crammed into the story instead of providing a natural look at the characters’ emotions. Though Wish’s “I Want” song, “This Wish,” explores Asha’s desires, it is the only one that ends with a better sense of the character’s emotional state. While others, like “Knowing What I Know Now” and “I’m A Star,” feel clunky in the story’s context, taking away from their necessity and, ultimately, making them seem pointless.
This writer would have to argue that while the soundtrack isn’t what most are likely expecting from a modern Disney classic, it’s hard to say that it does anything harmful or offensive. Considering the previously-maligned “This Is the Thanks I Get” has over two million plays on Spotify, can it really be called “clunky” or “crammed?”
Related: Latest Reveal From Disney’s ‘Wish’ Confirms Its Villain Story
Taste is subjective, but it’s still easy to see why some audiences take issue with Wish’s musicality. Disney chose a more contemporary pop soundtrack by choosing Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice as the film’s songwriters, but they simply lacked the theatrics of such predecessors as Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken, and Phil Collins.
Disney wasn’t necessarily wrong for utilizing the pop genre, but Wish may or may not have been the right movie for experimentation. It might be the case that the soundtrack is simply a stray mark on an otherwise pretty picture.
What did you think of Disney’s latest movie musical? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!