Wish (Walt Disney Animation - November 2023)

[Sir_Cliff]

I still don't get Chris Buck's rationale as to why Sabino singing "A Wish Worth Making" was cut: "The film tells you what it needs"? I would think fully resolving the situation that caused all the trouble in the first place was worth an extra minute or two.

Is it just me, or is the song not that good? I know it's supposed to be moving and the characters are acting as though it is, but I don't really find the lyrics, tune, or performance all that impactful. Possibly it could have worked if they just had the first verse and cut it off after the first "a wish worth making".

It kind of puts me in mind of a lesser version of Miguel singing Remember Me to Mama Coco:





Ah, I love Coco!

Since I brought up Asha and Valentino's lack of chemistry compared to Olaf, Anna, and later Elsa. I love how the original Frozen handled Olaf's role by not only being a comic relief character next to Sven. But he actually played an important role in Anna and Elsa's relationship. Prior to The Trolls changing Anna's memories of Elsa accidentally hurting her, Olaf was built when the girls were playing with Elsa saying "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warms hugs." After Elsa unknowingly brought Olaf to life, he served as a reminder of Anna and Elsa's innocence and playful nature they once had.

While giving moments of levity, audiences were worn over by Olaf since he wasn't only appealing to children. But he ended up risking his life by getting close to fire for the first time in his life just to keep Anna alive much longer after getting her "heart frozen" and on the verge of death. It's why the line "Some people are worth melting for" is my favorite scene and line from the film.


Wish the filmmakers thought of a similar approach with Asha and Valentino if the movie had a better plot. I preferred if the movie had a different prologue going along the lines of showing how Valentino helped Asha feel more confident or something. The only time the two have any personal interaction is the goat crying after learning Star has to go and even that has a somewhat comedic line.

Olaf is a good example of comic relief that also serves a purpose in the story and involves a fully-developed and appealing character. Valentino is one of the many elements of the film that didn't seem fully developed beyond the basic idea of having a talking animal sidekick as that's clearly his only role.

 

[brb1006]

Is it just me, or is the song not that good? I know it's supposed to be moving and the characters are acting as though it is, but I don't really find the lyrics, tune, or performance all that impactful. Possibly it could have worked if they just had the first verse and cut it off after the first "a wish worth making".

It kind of puts me in mind of a lesser version of Miguel singing Remember Me to Mama Coco:





Ah, I love Coco!


Olaf is a good example of comic relief that also serves a purpose in the story and involves a fully-developed and appealing character. Valentino is one of the many elements of the film that didn't seem fully developed beyond the basic idea of having a talking animal sidekick as that's clearly his only role.

I remember reading online that Valentino was originally going to have an interesting character arc in the movie. He wanted himself to become helpful and useful despite failing a few times and planned to have a purpose in the story with Asha. This aspect is kept in tons of Talking plushies of the character.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I remember reading online that Valentino was originally going to have an interesting character arc in the movie. He wanted himself to become helpful and useful despite failing a few times and planned to have a purpose in the story with Asha. This aspect is kept in tons of Talking plushies of the character.

I hope there is one day an oral history of this film available somewhere as I am very curious to know quite what went on during its development!

As you mentioned earlier on this thread, there seem to have been quite a few good ideas for this film that were either cut or never fully developed. The final version, while not terrible, has the definite feeling that it needed the filmmakers to step back at a certain point, identify what wasn't working properly, and re-tool the script. Weirdly, though, it seems like the re-tooling they did generally make the film less appealing than the concepts cut from the script at least sound.

 

[celluloid]

Forever an evident piece that some(one) got to walk out with about 100 million dollars in their pocket(s)

 

[Ghost93]

I hope there is one day an oral history of this film available somewhere as I am very curious to know quite what went on during its development!

As you mentioned earlier on this thread, there seem to have been quite a few good ideas for this film that were either cut or never fully developed. The final version, while not terrible, has the definite feeling that it needed the filmmakers to step back at a certain point, identify what wasn't working properly, and re-tool the script. Weirdly, though, it seems like the re-tooling they did generally make the film less appealing than the concepts cut from the script at least sound.

Unfortunately the less successful a Disney movie is, the less forthcoming the Walt Disney Company is about revealing the the creative process and the business decisions that led to the final product. It's a shame, as sometimes the Disney movies that ended up being financial failures often have a very interesting history behind them (the Black Cauldron, Treasure Planet, The Emperor's New Groove, etc.).

Maybe 15-20 years from now, we'll get honest interviews about what really happened with the development of movies like Wish and Strange World.

 

[Miss Rori]

Is it just me, or is the song not that good? I know it's supposed to be moving and the characters are acting as though it is, but I don't really find the lyrics, tune, or performance all that impactful. Possibly it could have worked if they just had the first verse and cut it off after the first "a wish worth making".

The lyrics do have a first draft/automatically-generated air to them ("If your dreams have strings/Feed them, give them some air"?), that's for sure.

 

[Miss Rori]

Unfortunately the less successful a Disney movie is, the less forthcoming the Walt Disney Company is about revealing the the creative process and the business decisions that led to the final product.

That's for sure. I find it hard to believe that at no point in production did anyone point out that major elements of it just weren't working - i.e. how the people of Rosas came off as lazy and dull in giving up wishes that were so easy to attain and also didn't come off as the great driving passions they supposedly were. (There's a YT video by a group called Spilling the Milk of them watching the movie for the first time and, during "At All Costs", laughing at how the people were wishing for things like making dresses, playing music, and...hugging their son? Like, they could just go and do those things.) Or how Star is apparently so powerful that Magnifico becomes obsessed with capturing them, yet can't actually do anything besides making animals and plants talk and creating defective magic wands.

 

[celluloid]

Some films can have interesting documentary level subject matter made about them not resonating with audiences of that time due to consumer trends but the film itself was seen as really good once people saw it, they just are not aware of it.

WISH, people are very aware of. You just have one or so people saying anything good about it.

The ultimate phone it in kind of ho hum film with less than that songs in many's opinions.

 

[Dranth]

I finally watched this today and I’m still sorting my feelings on it but it really feels like it had the makings of something much better than what it ended up as.

Just touching on a few of the complaints I saw regularly.

The animation and art style. This was pretty good and I thought the blended style they went for was a nice touch and looked great most of the time. However, on occasion, it didn’t feel like it was working.

The music. It often felt like there was a core that could be great but never really made it. Personally, I thought “I’m A Star” and “Knowing What I Know Now” came the closest. “At All Costs” was also good but again, just didn’t seem to quite get there and I also don't know how I feel about it in context as it really felt like something that should have been between the King and Queen and not about wishes. Who knows though, I often find I am more negative on music the first time I hear it and it comes to grow on me.

The story. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either. Sure, it had some gapping plot holes and you really had to set your critical mind aside but I find that true with most movies. On top of that, it felt like there was a number of good ideas below the surface that just needed some breathing room. Also, did the Queen even have an arc? I assume it was left on the cutting room floor as it really felt like there was missing story there.

Bottom line for me, it was okay, certainly better than the over-the-top negativity would imply but also not one of their best efforts.

 

[TsWade2]

i know you people don’t care, but it’s been announced that Wish is popular and trending number 1 on DisneyPlus! Looks like it’s going to become a classic hit like Sleeping Beauty and Encanto! Told you so!

 

[Farerb]

Sleeping Beauty is not a cult hit. It's a classic beloved by many.

 

[TsWade2]

Sleeping Beauty is not a cult hit. It's a classic beloved by many.

I fixed it.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I finally watched this today and I’m still sorting my feelings on it but it really feels like it had the makings of something much better than what it ended up as.

Just touching on a few of the complaints I saw regularly.

The animation and art style. This was pretty good and I thought the blended style they went for was a nice touch and looked great most of the time. However, on occasion, it didn’t feel like it was working.

The music. It often felt like there was a core that could be great but never really made it. Personally, I thought “I’m A Star” and “Knowing What I Know Now” came the closest. “At All Costs” was also good but again, just didn’t seem to quite get there and I also don't know how I feel about it in context as it really felt like something that should have been between the King and Queen and not about wishes. Who knows though, I often find I am more negative on music the first time I hear it and it comes to grow on me.

I think this post generally summed up very nicely how I felt about it.

The story. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either. Sure, it had some gapping plot holes and you really had to set your critical mind aside but I find that true with most movies. On top of that, it felt like there was a number of good ideas below the surface that just needed some breathing room. Also, did the Queen even have an arc? I assume it was left on the cutting room floor as it really felt like there was missing story there.

If this wasn't a Disney film which automatically gives me slightly more investment in it, I think I probably would have walked about of the film and kind of forgotten about it as a pretty forgettable/mediocre film rather than one that was bad as such. The more I thought about the plot holes, though, the more I did end up finding this film slightly frustrating as a film that seemed to have been released before they'd really ironed out the plot and the characters! The Queen was one of the things that had me scratching my head, particularly how she seemed to turn on a dime regarding her feelings toward her husband which seemed a little cold!

 

[Magenta Panther]

I think this post generally summed up very nicely how I felt about it.


If this wasn't a Disney film which automatically gives me slightly more investment in it, I think I probably would have walked about of the film and kind of forgotten about it as a pretty forgettable/mediocre film rather than one that was bad as such. The more I thought about the plot holes, though, the more I did end up finding this film slightly frustrating as a film that seemed to have been released before they'd really ironed out the plot and the characters! The Queen was one of the things that had me scratching my head, particularly how she seemed to turn on a dime regarding her feelings toward her husband which seemed a little cold!

Well, she couldn't possibly be a villain like her husband. Because she is woman, hear her roar.

 

[Miss Rori]

Well, she couldn't possibly be a villain like her husband. Because she is woman, hear her roar.

The making-of clips/deleted scenes revealed that when it was decided Amaya should be a goodie instead of a baddie she eventually had two other characters' arcs grafted on to her. Originally, Dahlia was the character who unconditionally adored Magnifico and only began to change her mind after he yelled at her over something (and from the storyboard footage of this stretch, she seemed to be the Teen who didn't switch allegiances right away, rather than Simon). The other character was one who didn't make the final film: Flazino, another friend of Asha's who got the apprentice job but when he learned too much about Magnifico's evil nature had his wish crushed and was thrown in the dungeon. (So he was the one who could tell them about stuff like the Forbidden Book.) He was dropped to avoid having too many characters.

I think the reasons Amaya was turned into a goody were varied. Yeah, they probably did want to avoid the "female ruler/power-wielder = evil" trope that a lot of fantasy movies use, including older Disney ones. But also, if she and Magnifico were both evil and defeated, what was going to happen to Rosas as a society? I can imagine the filmmakers didn't think an ending where everybody discusses what form of government they'll be using now was inspiring - and who wants a Disney movie with a magical kingdom in it to end with the kingdom dissolving anyway? - so it was just easier to have one good royal to serve as a spare and take the throne! Also, a good queen theoretically sells more fashion dolls to 8-year-olds than a bad one.

 

[Miss Rori]

The Queen was one of the things that had me scratching my head, particularly how she seemed to turn on a dime regarding her feelings toward her husband which seemed a little cold!

As Screen Rant Pitch Meetings joked: "Wait, are we sure she's not evil?" "Dunno!" There are some fans who wonder if Amaya only switched sides for her own benefit, once her hubby was no longer "useful". After all, she didn't seem to have any problems with the wish-granting system and all that. But once she got threatened with a pointy magic staff (and, as the Spilling the Milk video snarked, a mouse talked to her when she was sad), then she wasn't okay with him! And of course, if Magnifico becomes the Magic Mirror and she keeps it in the dungeon, along with all of his other magical items...

 

[Sir_Cliff]

As Screen Rant Pitch Meetings joked: "Wait, are we sure she's not evil?" "Dunno!" There are some fans who wonder if Amaya only switched sides for her own benefit, once her hubby was no longer "useful". After all, she didn't seem to have any problems with the wish-granting system and all that. But once she got threatened with a pointy magic staff (and, as the Spilling the Milk video snarked, a mouse talked to her when she was sad), then she wasn't okay with him! And of course, if Magnifico becomes the Magic Mirror and she keeps it in the dungeon, along with all of his other magical items...

I felt some relief at that Screen Rant Pitch Meeting joke that I wasn't the only person who had pondered that question!

It did seem a bit self-serving and, honestly, I didn't quite get what all that fighting was for if they just ended up with a different monarch at the end of the movie. A lot of the messaging seemed to be around power corrupting, individual freedom, etc, so swapping out the king for his (ex-)wife(?) to rule over them seemed a bit of a strange thing to do at the end of it all.

 

[Miss Rori]

Well, at the same time Asha gets that wand to grant wishes with (yeah, someone with no magical training will be way better with that power than Magnifico was!) and the last line is "Just keep wishing", so I guess that whole thing about making your dreams come true rather than relying on others was a decoy Aesop too.

 

[celluloid]

The animation on this is going to age the way Chicken Little did.

One can understand the style they said they were aiming for like a painting, it does not make it good.

Still baffled how this cost near 200 million.

 

[LittleBuford]

The animation on this is going to age the way Chicken Little did.

What makes you say that?