Wish (2023)
Directors: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Screenwriters: Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, Jon Rudnitsky

One hundred years of Disney. How does one possibly celebrate such an occasion? The little studio that begun with animated movies about a cartoon mouse (and rabbit) almost one hundred years ago now exists as a behemoth of the entertainment industry, owning half of Hollywood as well as the famed Disneyland and Disneyworld theme parks. With so much power, so much history and so many controversies, what could the company plan for their 100th birthday party release Wish that could possibly pay homage to such a legacy?

After undergoing a five year hiatus from releasing original animated movies between 2016’s Moana and 2021’s Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney have gone back to what they do best, what they are most known for, animation. They have returned to their roots in the past few years and released animated pictures like Raya, Encanto, and Strange World, to varying degrees of success. 

Wish finds itself set in the wonderful kingdom of Rosas, which is ruled by its king Magnifico (Chris Pine). King Magnifico performs a yearly ritual in which once someone turns 18, they can pass their greatest wish onto him and he will protect it and potentially allow it to come true one day. However, once Asha (Ariana DeBose) discovers that Magnifico’s intentions may not be as pure as they seem, she realises that she must do whatever she can to stop him. Even wishing upon a star. 

As is probably obvious from the story of a young girl wishing upon a star, the film finds itself heavily inspired by the famed Disney tune “When You Wish Upon a Star”, which originally featured in Pinocchio but has since become Disney’s signature song. Much like this little reference to the past of the company, the film is also filled to the brim with references that show the journey of Disney from then to now. 

It’s a good idea in scope; a nice way to celebrate the history of the studio whilst pushing forward with the new. This is, however, the only facet of the movie that feels at all genuine.

Whilst Disney were patting themselves on the back for how great their company used to be, they forgot to put heart into any other aspects of Wish. Similar to the hand-drawn animation style that the film attempts to replicate, much of Wish is flat and one dimensional.

This disingenuity is most evident in the film’s characters. The main character Asha (voiced by DeBose in perhaps the only memorable vocal performance of the entire film) is given a bit more depth and personality, but the side characters make it clear what was most important to Disney in the making of this film. The supporting cast of Asha’s family, friends and sidekicks is upwards of ten people, all of whom are of varying races, genders and sizes, placing equality, diversity and inclusivity at the forefront of the film to showcase the company’s core values. At least, what the company would like you to think are their core values. This becomes painstakingly obvious through the number “Knowing What I Know Now”, in which the film makes a point to show the differences in the characters through their blocking.

The issue is, these characters are given so little to do and have such little depth that we simply do not care about a single one of them. Though the filmmakers would like us to believe that these are beliefs, values and causes that the studio care about, they do almost nothing to convince us of that fallacy. Instead, the little bit of character that Asha’s friends are afforded is that each of them are inspired by the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This once again proves that what Disney cares about the most is patting themselves on the back.

Wish essentially only exists as a form of corporate self-fellatio that is as insufferable to watch as it is to write about.

Coming in at only ninety-five minutes, the centenary celebration of Walt Disney Studios moves along at a breakneck pace, showing us that even the execs up at Disney HQ wanted this one to be over just as quickly as we did. This simultaneously illustrates just how little care was put into the story aspects of the film and how Wish is really just one big advertisement for the company that made it. Come the end of the film, a character asks how they could possibly keep the magic of the Kingdom of Rosas alive, to which another responds “easy, just keep wishing.” What Disney are really saying is “keep buying tickets.”

Just as one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, it must be said that among the garbage there are some nuggets of gold in Wish. The story has a really good idea underpinning it, and the film offers a nice opportunity to create a full-circle moment for the “wish upon a star” fable that Disney is essentially built upon. Going back to the hand-drawn aesthetic is also a nice touch, as is making the film a musical. Given more time, care and passion, Wish could have been something special. All it needed was some heart. The lack thereof in the final product tells us more about the company that made it than anything in Wish ever could. 

Wish is a hollow and lazy picture that feeds its audiences the propaganda of Disney, only this time they aren’t even hiding it with the usual magic that pervades throughout their output. Though the kids seeing this film will undoubtedly enjoy it, they deserve better. 

Score: 7/24

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Director: Jeff Fowler
Screenwriters: Pat Casey, Josh Miller, John Whittington
Starring: Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, Colleen O’Shaughnessey

In 2020, the first Sonic movie from SEGA, Blur Studios and Paramount, Sonic the Hedgehog, built on the success of The Pokemon Company’s Detective Pikachu to rewrite the rule that dictated that all video game-to-movie adaptations must inevitably be disappointing, instead offering “a high score-worthy account of itself”, a “fun family film”. Two years later, and without a Detective Pikachu sequel in sight, Sonic and his gaffer tape family have returned, and under the guidance of sophomore feature director Jeff Fowler have done it all over again. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is funny and hearty, and while it may not rip up any trees, it is another 2 hours at the cinema that will prove enjoyable to families, children, those nostalgic for their old console days, and anyone looking for some innocent escapism and a few laughs.

What made Sonic the Hedgehog such a success was its earnest approach towards its family-orientated material. Sonic may have flossed, and the design of the hedgehog itself may have come under immense scrutiny ahead of release (causing a re-design), but Sonic the Hedgehog was one of few studio films from the past decade or so to offer simple, relatable, and most importantly innocent fun. Like DC and Warner Bros’ Shazam!, it felt no need to cater to the same audience as a Marvel movie or a Transformers movie, and was more than content with going after the same feelings as those great 80s and 90s PG films like The Goonies and Matilda. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hits many of the same markers, the titular hedgehog this time having to embrace change and evolution to both his present and his perspective of the past in order to grow into a more rounded being, his arc being one that anyone who has ever been through change (or simply lived a life) can associate with, but the core themes of found family, of finding love, remain at the forefront of this universe, of the director’s intent.

In Sonic 2, the dastardly Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) makes his way back to earth with a little help from a new ally in “Sonic” video game and animated series regular Knuckles (Idris Elba). Intent on revenge first-and-foremost, but also a little bit of eternal power, Robotnik uses Knuckles’ physical mite and own Sonic-related motivations to bring monumental change to the little hedgehog alien, his new-found family and some friends they make along the way, including “Sonic 2” video game mainstay Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey). It’s a narrative that demands you take some things with a pinch of salt, and it even lacks logic in some minute ways, you could even say that it is offering nothing new, but for what it is and who it’s aiming for, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has more than enough by way of focus, of laughs, of references, and of heart, to earn your suspension of disbelief and encourage you to buy into the journey of the CGI hedgehog and his friends.

Sonic 2 can become distracted by side stories, and with more characters to cater for than the ultra-tight six or seven in the original film, this 2022 release does in parts flutter between stories that seem less-than connected, with some even coming across as less interesting. As was the case with the original however, these diversions inevitably pay off in memorable ways, increasing the overall enjoyability of the film whilst padding out the universe. Director Jeff Fowler had already earned our trust with his stellar focus in the original film, and in Sonic 2 he solidifies himself as a worthy big-budget family filmmaker capable of spinning many plates while never losing sight of his intentions. Sonic 2 isn’t exactly complicated, but with so many new characters to bring to the fore and a large focus on video game references no doubt expectant from fans and the studio, Fowler must be praised, his work no doubt illustrating the beginning of what should be a long and successful career.

Those in the know about the original “Sonic” video games will be overjoyed by the way that SEGA have handled their debut cinematic outings to date, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 having just as many Easter Eggs as the original film but importantly developing the 2nd video game’s addition of Tails and the ever-iconic Emerald Zone into the foundations of this film. Perhaps most impressively, these inclusions don’t become a movie of their own, passing over the heads of the casual audience members in attendance, and are instead small and simple ways for fans to appreciate the filmmaking even more. It is clear, with these titbits, nods and winks, that the filmmakers respect where the Sonic character has come from, and what fans of the character might wish for, whilst never losing sight of their filmmaking intent, of releasing a film for people young and old to enjoy.

Jim Carrey is again the standout of the on-screen collection of actors, his portrayal of Sonic’s ultimate foe evolving ever-closer to the video game character and Carrey once again making gold from every small or large (or even larger) moment he is given. His character, and his continued interactions with Sonic 1 favourite Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub), earns all the screen time he’s given and the love he has been shown. Meanwhile, Idris Elba’s debut in the Sonic universe as Knuckles is at times hilarious, Elba’s performance succeeding where the material succeeds and falling flat in moments where he’s less of a focus. His portrayal, and the character at large, are as Thor is to the Avengers, or Drax is to the Guardians of the Galaxy; he’s an earnestly intense fish out of water, and that makes him funny. Fans of Sonic 1’s side arc of Donut Lord James Marsden, his on-screen wife played by Tika Sumpter, and her on-screen sister played by Natasha Rothwell, may at first be disappointed by how the trio are ousted from the central narrative, but the pay off is more than worth it; Rothwell in particular getting highlight after highlight in a sequence that wouldn’t be out of place in a film likes Bridesmaids.

Even after two years of lockdowns, cinema closures, studios taking less risks and audiences no longer buying into anything other than a guaranteed entertainment fix at the box office, Sonic remains and Sonic thrives, and that speaks of Jeff Fowler and co’s ability to capture the innocence and excitement of youth. Jim Carrey is excellent, there are some scenes that will prove to be as memorable as any in video game cinema, there are call-backs to the roots of Sonic’s history, and there are plenty of laughs, but what everyone will remember most about Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is what they remembered most about Sonic the Hedgehog 1: the heart. This is family filmmaking for a new generation; enjoyable and funny albeit flawed big screen entertainment.

15/24