Review Roundup: WISH Starring Ariana DeBose Comes to Theaters; Find Out What Critics Think of Disney's Latest Movie Musical

Disney is continuing its 100th anniversary with WISH, a brand-new movie musical celebrating a century of Disney magic.

The film stars Oscar-winning West Side Story star Ariana DeBose as Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star.

Asha and Star work together to uncover the secrets of King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine, saving her community and proving that the one of one courageous human's connection to the magic of the stars can change everything.

Inspired by Walt Disney’s magical, musical legacy, the movie features an original story and characters, with seven all-new songs penned by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy-winning producer-songwriter-musician Benjamin Rice.

The film is helmed by Oscar-winning director Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”), and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones (“Encanto”). 

Ahead of Wish's highly-anticipated theatrical release, find out what critics think of the brand-new film below! Check back later as more reviews continue to be released.

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Damon Wise, Deadline: "Thankfully, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, but to cap 100 years with a few throwaway quips about Bambi, Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan (plus a whole rollcall of more recent characters during the end credits) seems to be a hell of a disappointing way to capitalize on such a formidable back catalogue."

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY: "You’ll probably find something to love about 'Wish', a tune-filled, big-hearted storybook fantasy that’s the most rousingly Disney effort this side of “Frozen.” Even for hardcore fans, “Wish” comes close to overdoing it with the, well, Disney-ness. That’s when Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) becomes the movie’s saving grace, as a likable, idealistic teen heroine with plucky verve and powerhouse vocals."

Owen Gleiberman, Variety: "The songs, by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, are catchy, though in a consumable way that makes it hard not to notice how much they’re imitating the Lin-Manuel Miranda school of verbal aggression wrapped in hooks. Sorry, but there’s no 'We Don’t Talk About Bruno' or 'Let It Go' here."

Lovia Gyarye, The Hollywood Reporter: "If Wish is any clue, it seems Disney would rather not commit to any single direction. Directed by Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Raya and the Last Dragon), the film represents an awkward marriage between old and new ways. Even during its more successful moments, Wish’s magic falls flat. The film is weighed down by its purpose: to revel in Disney nostalgia while soaring into the future."

Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent: "'This Wish,' the film’s leading track, would sit comfortably alongside Moana’s 'How Far I’ll Go,' and is so powerfully delivered by DeBose that it’s physically impossible not to resort to that nine-month-old, 'She did the thing!' meme. There are cute animal sidekicks aplenty, and Disney veteran Alan Tudyk sneaks in a few stellar moments as a tiny goat in pyjamas named Valentino."

Kate Erbland, IndieWire: "For its latest original animated outing, Disney sticks to the usual trappings with a few twists here and there, most of them appealing to moviegoing families desperate for a new film to entertain kiddos to over the holidays."

Faisal Salah, The National: "The music in Wish lets it down at times. Some of the songs are sub-par, compared with what we’ve come to expect from Disney films. However, there is still a lot to enjoy in Wish. Families will want to go and see it together, taking in all of the Disney charm."

Petrana Radulovic, Polygon: "The songs are similarly all indebted to better songs that came before them, though some of them do extend beyond just the Disney canon. The 'Welcome to Rosas' introduction song, for instance, just sounds like a lesser version of Encanto’s fast-paced family meet-and-greet. The group number 'Knowing What We Know Now' sounds eerily like 'Why We Build the Wall' from Hadestown, even though it has completely different connotations. The exception is perhaps 'This Wish,' the movie’s big 'I Want' song, where DeBose lets her voice soar."

Belen Edwards, Mashable: "With her headstrong idealism and genuine care for everyone around her, Asha makes for a wonderful addition to the Disney princess canon. (The same goes for DeBose and her vocal performance.) If only she had a story that measured up. Wish spends so much of its first half establishing Rosas and the wish system that most character development gets thrown out the window."

A.A. Dowd, The Daily Beast: "Wish feels like it never quite got out of the outlining stages, like some executive wrote “wish” on a whiteboard, and a movie was just kind of built around it. The uplifting ideals and anniversary motifs barely cohere into a story. If there’s a moral here, it’s something about not counting on others to realize your dreams for you—a rather ironic point for a self-proclaimed dream factory to make during its centennial celebration."

Matthew Schuchman, ClutchPoints: "Story aside, some people will just wonder how all the songs are in Wish. To be frank about it, they’re fine. Nothing in the entire song list can be considered ear worm-y. The aforementioned “Knowing What I Know Now” is the one song that struck any sort of chord with me. That said, it’s not a typical feel good song of hope and joy."

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Watch the trailer for Wish here:

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