Wish (Walt Disney Animation - November 2023)

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
Fair enough, though I must say that I thought the songs from Encanto were probably without exception excellent. For me, it's one of the better Disney soundtracks.

Again, this is not to discount anyone liking the soundtrack, but going back to the Las Culturistas podcast, I do think Matt Rogers' instincts were ultimately correct about the songs in that none of them really caught on. For me, the songs are a little like the film in general: not bad as such, they just fell a bit flat.
I honestly feel that if the film had done well, at least a couple of the songs would have caught on. “This Wish” is melodically very strong and engaging, even if some take issue with the lyrics. It deserved to do better than it has.
 

TsWade2

Well-Known Member
I honestly feel that if the film had done well, at least a couple of the songs would have caught on. “This Wish” is melodically very strong and engaging, even if some take issue with the lyrics. It deserved to do better than it has.
I agree. I think This Wish is a great song, but I'm kind of glad it didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Song, because I have a bad feeling that a stupid Barbie movie is going to win it.
 
Also, something else I've seen brought up is how if anyone was going to lead the song, or pick up where Asha leaves off, it should have been Sabino

OMG that's so obvious now that you say that. It definitely should have been Sabino after they foreshadowed the heck out of that only for it to come back inconsequentially.
 

Farerb

Well-Known Member
I think both Wish's and Encanto's songs are mediocre (except maybe Bruno). I much prefer when Disney went big with their musicals like Beauty and the Beast or Hunchback. Overall the 90s movies had better music, everything they make today seems to be designed for radio and TikTok. I don't care for that.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
I think both Wish's and Encanto's songs are mediocre (except maybe Bruno). I much prefer when Disney went big with their musicals like Beauty and the Beast or Hunchback. Overall the 90s movies had better music, everything they make today seems to be designed for radio and TikTok. I don't care for that.
To my ears, “This Wish” sounds very much like a song for a Disney musical rather than something designed for the radio. I’m sad it won’t enter the repertoire for park shows, as it would have made a great soundtrack for fireworks.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
I almost bought the art of this movie, and I've never seen this movie before. I just really liked the characters from what I've seen. I collect a lot of the Art of movies when Disney brings and animated movie out. Do you all know when this movie is coming out on Disney+
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
To my ears, “This Wish” sounds very much like a song for a Disney musical rather than something designed for the radio. I’m sad it won’t enter the repertoire for park shows, as it would have made a great soundtrack for fireworks.

I don't know if I'd make that assumption. It likely won't be a corporately mandated song (unless D+ brings miracles), but it seems like some of what they use is just what the show designers like. Otherwise I doubt we'd have so much random Hercules representation all of a sudden.

Now a float, it likely will never get a float. Those seem to be very popularity mandated.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
I don't know if I'd make that assumption. It likely won't be a corporately mandated song (unless D+ brings miracles), but it seems like some of what they use is just what the show designers like. Otherwise I doubt we'd have so much random Hercules representation all of a sudden.

Now a float, it likely will never get a float. Those seem to be very popularity mandated.
Unless it performs miracles on Disney+, I really think Disney is going to bury the film and use nothing from it. Hercules may not have been a smash hit, but it has a solid reputation and is now something of a cult classic among fans. Wish, however, has had the most inauspicious start possible, and I’m not convinced it can claw its way back from that.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Unless it performs miracles on Disney+, I really think Disney is going to bury the film and use nothing from it. Hercules may not have been a smash hit, but it has a solid reputation and is now something of a cult classic among fans. Wish, however, has had the most inauspicious start possible, and I’m not convinced it can claw its way back from that.

Fair enough. The one other small wrinkle +/- is the Princess lineup, if she's added.

Strange World is forever buried. But I think Wish still has two escape routes left.
 

Miss Rori

Well-Known Member
OMG that's so obvious now that you say that. It definitely should have been Sabino after they foreshadowed the heck out of that only for it to come back inconsequentially.
It's amazing how Sabino getting his wish granted/returned is supposed to be so important that Asha ends up risking the whole kingdom, yet his onscreen solo ("A Wish Worth Making") was cut at the 11th hour after being fully animated (and there's never been a reason given as to why), he and Sakina are just there in the third act, and the payoff to his story is a post-credits gag that, presumably, most people didn't stick around for. Way to develop stakes! (And it just makes it easier to ponder why he was so lazy as to not work on his music in the first place rather than give up his wish to Magnifico.)
 

Miss Rori

Well-Known Member
I almost bought the art of this movie, and I've never seen this movie before. I just really liked the characters from what I've seen. I collect a lot of the Art of movies when Disney brings and animated movie out. Do you all know when this movie is coming out on Disney+
No, Disney has been kicking that can down the road thus far, so it won't be by the end of this month. Maybe April.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
Fair enough. The one other small wrinkle +/- is the Princess lineup, if she's added.

Strange World is forever buried. But I think Wish still has two escape routes left.
I am kind of curious to see what life this film has over the longer term, particularly as it's proved quite polarising in the shorter term over whether it deserved better. The two escape routes you mention seem reasonable possibilities to me, particularly if the feelings of those who felt the initial response to the film were not reflective of its quality end up being more widely shared once it goes onto streaming. I would also note that there are Wish references already at the revamped Disneyland Hotel in Paris which has a princess theme, so that could suggest that it will at least be in contention for inclusion when princess themes are considered in the future.
 

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
I am kind of curious to see what life this film has over the longer term, particularly as it's proved quite polarising in the shorter term over whether it deserved better. The two escape routes you mention seem reasonable possibilities to me, particularly if the feelings of those who felt the initial response to the film were not reflective of its quality end up being more widely shared once it goes onto streaming. I would also note that there are Wish references already at the revamped Disneyland Hotel in Paris which has a princess theme, so that could suggest that it will at least be in contention for inclusion when princess themes are considered in the future.
We’ll also see pretty quickly in the short term whether it gets a second life on D+ (eg Encanto) or has views like a roadside car wreck (most of what came out last year other than Elemental)
 

BuddyThomas

Well-Known Member
I agree. I think This Wish is a great song, but I'm kind of glad it didn't get an Oscar nomination for Best Song, because I have a bad feeling that a stupid Barbie movie is going to win it.
Well, I would not have minded if Wish got a nomination for Best Song. It could have replaced that ridiculous Diane Warren nomination for The Fire Inside song (from a movie about Doritos- seriously). However, I disagree that Barbie was “stupid”. It is a 100% lock for an Oscar win for “What Was I Made For?”. In my opinion, Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” should also have been nominated, and I wouldn’t have minded a nomination for “Wild Uncharted Waters” from The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, there are only 5 spaces, so some worthy contenders always miss out.
 

Miss Rori

Well-Known Member
I am kind of curious to see what life this film has over the longer term, particularly as it's proved quite polarising in the shorter term over whether it deserved better. The two escape routes you mention seem reasonable possibilities to me, particularly if the feelings of those who felt the initial response to the film were not reflective of its quality end up being more widely shared once it goes onto streaming.
I think it would be odd to add Asha to the Princess lineup, and not just because the art book explicitly points out she's not a princess (or even a chief's daughter, thank you Maui!) but an ordinary person who makes good. There's the fact that the movie already has some royal characters in it like Queen Amaya and it would be weird to act like she's an adopted daughter or something! The one non-princess princess I can think of offhand is Mulan, and that was largely so there could be a non-white character in the line who was more recognizable than Pocahontas. There's already an official black princess with Tiana so Asha wouldn't add anything new. It's like how Mirabel's wildly popular but hasn't been added to the line.

As for Disney+...so far the digital rental/purchase release hasn't boosted the film's reputation - if anything, it's made it even easier for snarky animation fans to break down in good faith where they feel the movie goes wrong. (Slowly but surely, "This reads like a recipe book for the foul and the savage" is joining the ranks of lines/lyrics that have people questioning whether or not this was actually AI at work. And boy, maybe one out of ten viewers thinks Valentino is funny.) I suspect that the people interested enough not to wait for Disney+, assuming they subscribe to it, and use other legal routes are going to be more demanding than the parents who need something fresh to keep their kids occupied on a rainy day. It will be interesting to see how well the hard copy releases sell starting next week. And I really think Disney should have just bit the bullet and brought out the streaming release sooner, when it was fresher in families' minds.
 

Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
I haven't seen the movie, but I have a very sweet and wonderful dog. It totally hooked me because who wouldn't want their pet (my best friend and partner in crime my dog of course) to be able to talk to you. That would be so wonderfull!
 

Advisable Joseph

Well-Known Member
I almost bought the art of this movie, and I've never seen this movie before. I just really liked the characters from what I've seen. I collect a lot of the Art of movies when Disney brings and animated movie out. Do you all know when this movie is coming out on Disney+
For context, neither Migration nor Trolls Band Together is out on US subscription streaming (Peacock or Netflix), and I couldn't find any announcement of when that would happen for either movie. I think the industry is trying to expand the digital video/disc "window" of time before subscription streaming.

Speaking of streaming, I think Wish only has to do normal numbers on Disney+ for animated musicals. It only seems like it needs a miracle since it bled box office to Trolls, and adults, maybe teens, especially women, were very vocal about not liking it online.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
I think it would be odd to add Asha to the Princess lineup, and not just because the art book explicitly points out she's not a princess (or even a chief's daughter, thank you Maui!) but an ordinary person who makes good. There's the fact that the movie already has some royal characters in it like Queen Amaya and it would be weird to act like she's an adopted daughter or something! The one non-princess princess I can think of offhand is Mulan, and that was largely so there could be a non-white character in the line who was more recognizable than Pocahontas. There's already an official black princess with Tiana so Asha wouldn't add anything new. It's like how Mirabel's wildly popular but hasn't been added to the line.
I guess I didn't really think too hard about it, but Asha doesn't really even make it through the loopholes to be a princess as far as I can remember. I suppose that would make it easier to just ignore the film should they want to.

As for Disney+...so far the digital rental/purchase release hasn't boosted the film's reputation - if anything, it's made it even easier for snarky animation fans to break down in good faith where they feel the movie goes wrong. (Slowly but surely, "This reads like a recipe book for the foul and the savage" is joining the ranks of lines/lyrics that have people questioning whether or not this was actually AI at work. And boy, maybe one out of ten viewers thinks Valentino is funny.) I suspect that the people interested enough not to wait for Disney+, assuming they subscribe to it, and use other legal routes are going to be more demanding than the parents who need something fresh to keep their kids occupied on a rainy day. It will be interesting to see how well the hard copy releases sell starting next week. And I really think Disney should have just bit the bullet and brought out the streaming release sooner, when it was fresher in families' minds.
To be honest, I am sceptical that it will suddenly find an audience on streaming because I didn't think the film was particularly good. Elemental and Encanto, on the other hand, I thought were great, so I'm not surprised they did so well on streaming. I'm remaining open-minded, though, to the possibility that Wish was ultimately better than its disastrous initial reception suggests and will find some kind of audience once it is more widely available.

I would have thought something about the film would have caught on by now if it was going to, though. That includes the music, which obviously people who did go and see it weren't rushing to buy or stream. Who knows, maybe there is a We Don't Talk About Bruno sleeper hit in there, but I'm not seeing where so far.

On an anecdotal note, I was in Australia over Christmas and January this year, and I think I saw more promotion for Wish than any other holiday film as it came out on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) during the big summer holiday down there. There were billboards, videos on screens in shopping malls, ads on public transport, interviews on television, etc. It still kind of sank like a stone.
 

Miss Rori

Well-Known Member
I would have thought something about the film would have caught on by now if it was going to, though. That includes the music, which obviously people who did go and see it weren't rushing to buy or stream. Who knows, maybe there is a We Don't Talk About Bruno sleeper hit in there, but I'm not seeing where so far.
Yeah, Disney went all-in on selling the movie based on the songs in the month leading up to release, to precisely the social media crowds that loved "Let It Go" and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" so much, and if anything it backfired badly when none of them took. If nobody likes the songs from a musical, that's not going to get them to the theater to watch the whole movie. Meanwhile, the merchandising is an ongoing catastrophe, and as you noted, even in countries where it did seem to be extensively marketed like Australia it didn't connect (apparently the local reviews were really bad, and also, Wonka was already in theaters there). Japan was one of the few exceptions, and even there, apparently Magnifico is the fan-favorite character because that country's culture is big on respect, so he comes off as even more unintentionally sympathetic to those audiences!

Perhaps what the movie needs to break out on streaming (to make up for all the losses so far and get that merchandise moving) is for a lot of people who had no opinion on it before to check it out and declare it good. But Disney continuing to kick the can down the road means that whenever it does drop, there's a good chance it gets overlooked - if they brought it out at a time when kids weren't in school for a few days, but not in the summer when they have a lot of other options for things to do, it probably would have stood a better chance.
 

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