The release of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Wish in November 2023 marks the 100th anniversary celebration of the studio. However, there were mixed reactions from the audience and film critics, as many point out that the movie itself felt like more of a cash grab with references to previous Disney movies. Has Disney lost their touch with the quality of their films and projects to focus on quantity?
Honestly, there has not been a Disney movie that has really enthralled me in a long while. I grew up watching whatever Disney movie DVD I could get my hands on, and it is a bit disappointing how the studio has progressed over the years. I have noticed an interesting pattern with the constant live-action remakes that focus too much on what is considered “woke” elements to supposedly appease a certain group. This ends up creating a requirement for female protagonists who are strong but lack complexity, making them still hard for girls to relate to.
Yes, representation matters. However, a diverse background shouldn’t be their only defining character trait, and the focus should instead be on who they were at the start of their journey compared to who they become after.
Thus, leading to the pinnacle movie marking the centennial celebration of the studio: Wish. This movie was met with mixed reactions: on Rotten Tomatoes, it received an 81% audience score but only 48% from critics. Several critics pointed out that the project seemed to be more of a product from the Disney corporation than art from genuine creators. The only positive light of the movie is how it is watchable with hints of nostalgia, but this does not make up for the number of issues with it.
I have not seen the movie personally, however seeing the multiple clips from the studio, it feels as if the animation is incomplete, and this is obvious to the general public. Disney is generally known for their songs, but I’ve listened to a few of the songs from Wish and can’t bring myself to enjoy them as much. This is likely because the people selected to work on the music production previously worked with pop singers rather than in musical theater.
As for the story itself, people criticized that the plot was mundane and filled with bland characters, like the main protagonist Asha, who is shown to be another “quirky” character who faces King Magnifico. The overall problems with these characters are the lack of originality and poor execution of the internal goals. Asha has some great qualities for her character, but viewers point out that she does not go through any development, and in the end she receives only what she wanted but not what she needed. Hence, the storyline becomes hazy and confusing at times between Asha’s story and what is at stake.
We can see how much Disney itself has sadly turned from focusing on well-written, icon films to a corporate studio that has forgotten the quantity versus quality of the projects. Sincerely, I hope Disney will learn something from this experience and find ways to create authentic movies and promote the creativity that makes their magic.