Disney’s 62nd animated feature,Wish,has arrived in theaters to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary. Set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, it follows a young girl named Asha (Ariana DeBose) who learns a dark secret about the king, Magnifico (Chris Pine). The movie is meant to serve as a love letter to all things Disney, but critical and audience reception was mixed, mainly taking issue with its story, which is as cookie-cutter as one could imagine.
Still, the film’s characters are overall better than the story they inhabit. While it can’t be said they will become instant icons, they are quite entertaining and funny.Wish’s best characters capture the magic that audiences expect from a Disney movie, coming close to elevating the material despite the story’s lack of ambition.
Voiced by Harvey Guillén
Asha has many friends who work inside the royal palace, all of whom are somewhat based on the seven dwarfs fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The shortest member is Gabo (Harvey Guillén), whois based on Grumpy(Pinto Colvig) and is grouchy, cynical, and always looks at the worst side of life.
Gabo’s role in Asha’s group is to be that friend who always says the meanest things but has a heart of gold deep down; thus, he will never abandon a friend, no matter how much he grumbles. Guillén’s vocal performance is fine for what it is, though he makes the character sound much older than he’s supposed to be. Ultimately, what hurts Gabo the most is that he doesn’t get any scenes for himself, which prevents him from growing beyond being a part of the friend group.
9Valentino
Voiced by Alan Tudyk
The newest of Disney’s animal sidekicks, Valentino (Alan Tudyk),is a three-week-old goat who lives with Asha and her family. He follows Asha around as she gives tours of Rosas. When Asha summons a wishing star, its magic gives Valentino the ability to speak English in a deep voice.
Valentino’s entire character is just one joke: he’s a little goat who says silly words like “butt” in a deep, masculine voice. Those who find that funny will probably enjoy Valentino’s shtick, but it gets old rather quickly. Still, the ever-reliableAlan Tudyk gives an admirable performance, injecting some much-needed spark into what is otherwise a rather simplistic character. Valentino might be too one note to rise the ranks of Disney’s best sidekicks, but Tudyk makes the best of the material he’s given.
Voiced by Victor Garber
Asha’s paternal grandfather, Sabino (Victor Garber),begins the movie by turning one hundred years old. His birthday falls on King Magnifico’s next wish-granting ceremony, so Sabino hopes he will finally be chosen. It is this desire to finally live his wish that spurs Asha to try and become Magnifico’s apprentice and kicks off the film’s plot.
Sabino works fine for what he is: a man who just wants the chance to pursue his dream, even if it doesn’t end up working out. In the movie’s early portions, there’s even a good debate between him and Asha over the value of telling someone their wish if it won’t ever be fulfilled. Sadly, the movie goes in a different direction in its second half, and the character is relegated to a background role. Sabino could be one ofthe most inspiring movie mentors, and although the film doesn’t give him much importance, the character certainly has potential.
Voiced by Della Saba
Based on Bashful (Scotty Mattraw) fromSnow White,Bazeema (Della Saba) is less bashful and more shy. She rarely speaks andhas a habit of appearing and vanishing out of nowhere, often startling her friends when she does. Of course, when they need something from her, she’ll stand with them through thick and thin.
Although she has the least amount of screen time from Asha’s friends, what Bazeema gets is quite enough to make her a standout. Whenever she speaks, it’s always to give something helpful or supportive. She also puts a lot of trust into her friends, to the point where she takes them to her secret getaway spot during the film’s third act.Bazeema is amongWish’s most positive characters, representing the hopeful nature that makes most Disney movies work.
Voiced by Evan Peters
Based on Sleepy (Pinto Colvig), Simon (Evan Peters) is the first of the friend group to turn eighteen and give his wish to King Magnifico. Though he often dozes while his friends are trying to talk to him, Simon will happily use his strength and size to help out where he can. However, his desire to see his wish granted leads to some conflict of interest.
Of all the minor members of Asha’s friend group, Simon is the strongest in terms of character. His wants actively conflict with those of Asha and her friends, which results in some decent drama. His role in the second half of the film is more prominent, allowing him to exhibit more growth than other supporting characters inWish. Furthermore,Evan Peters' lively performancemakes Simon even more appealing.
Voiced by Jennifer Kumiyama
The palace baker, Dahlia (Jennier Kumiyama) likes to spend her time baking cookies shaped like Magnifico’s face. She is Asha’s best friend and tries to keep her grounded with logic when Asha becomes overwhelmed with anxiety. She also acts as the leader of the friend group and keeps their many conflicting personalities in line.
Dahlia is based on Doc (Roy Atwell) and comes out as the most developed and fleshed out of the friend group. While her dialogue can often feel a little too modern for this timeless fairy tale setting, she’s a good friend who is always there for Asha, and her analytical mind allows her to come up with some on-the-fly planning.Dahlia is amongWish’s strongest characters, proving the film has some of the classic charm that first made Disney into a juggernaut.
Voiced by Ariana DeBose
The seventeen-year-old protagonist, Asha, works as a tour guide for people visiting Rosa and hopes to become Magnifico’s apprentice to ensure her grandfather’s wish will be fulfilled. Upon discovering Magnifico’s controlling nature, she tries to warn others but is unable to convince her family. This leads her to wish upon a star for the chance to change the status quo.
Asha is the latest of Disney’s quirky female protagonists, including Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) and Anna (Kristien Bell). Asha might be too similar to these other heroines - the film even jokes that her biggest weakness is that she cares too much. That said, Oscar-winnerAriana DeBose is probablyWish’s strongest performer, and her singing voice is gorgeous. She turns Asha into an easy-to-root-for figure, making up for many of the film’s flaws through sheer enthusiasm.
3Queen Amaya
Voiced by Angelique Cabral
Magnifico’s loving wife, Queen Amaya (Angelique Cabral),has stood by his side since the founding of Rosa. She deeply cares about her citizens and wishes to see them all happy and provided for while her husband grants their wishes. Following Asha’s wish, Amaya watches as Magnifico begins a downward spiral and must make a difficult choice.
Amaya is a good representation of a noble fairy tale queen. Her early interactions with Asha are nice, showing how she inspires her citizens, and Cabral’s voice work is good at conveying compassion and strength. Her relationship with Magnifico is also interesting, as she tries to keep him rooted in his original ideals as he becomes more and more paranoid.
2King Magnifico
Voiced by Chris Pine
After losing his family, Magnifico dedicated his life to studying magic and founded a kingdom where all would be welcome. Using his powers, Magnifico collects the wishes of every member of his kingdom and grants one per month. However, Magnifico is very selective about which ones he grants, both to prevent vague and dangerous wishes from coming to be and to ensure nobody can challenge his authority.
Magnifico is definitelyWish’s most complex character, and it’s nice to finally have a return to theclassic-styled Disney villainagain. However, he feels like two different characters combined into one. In the first half of the film, he is a well-meaning king, if extreme in his methods, while the second half turns him into a greedy and paranoid maniac. While the transition could be handled better, Pine sells the heck out of the storyline,turning Magnifico intoWish’s breakthrough character.
No Voice Actor
When Asha wishes for a way to change the status quo in Rosa, a single star falls from the sky. Taking the form of a cute, anthropomorphic star, it uses its magic to grant voices to the animals of the forest. Valentino explains that all living creatures are made of stardust, and the Star then agrees to help Asha break into Magnifico’s palace and return the wishes to the citizens.
Despite having no lines,Star is easily the most enjoyable and personalized character inWish. Its small status doesn’t stop it from being friendly and very brave, willing to risk capture to release the wishes. Star is also quite mischievous and loves to play games, especially with its red yarn, but knows when to slow down and focus. It also develops a sweet relationship with Asha and helps her to become the hero she didn’t think she could be.
