海角大神

Disney鈥檚 鈥淲ish,鈥� which arrives in theaters today, will undoubtedly remind viewers of one of the House of Mouse鈥檚 most recognizable tales about magical desires 鈥� 鈥淎laddin.鈥�

The similarities are obvious, from antagonistic sorcerers to protagonists who come from humble beginnings. With that said, there is one important difference between the two.聽Aladdin, called the 鈥渟treet rat鈥� from Agrabah, inspires feelings of sympathy throughout his journey. Asha, the hero of the kingdom Rosas, is a conduit for empathy.

That distinction is important, and as Disney celebrates 100 years in movies, music, and animation, it聽offers a place to stop and reflect. Through praise and criticism, Disney remains a standard bearer in the arts, and beyond that, in wielding the power to inspire.

Early reviews of 鈥淲ish鈥� are reflective of how that standard is interpreted. Wish currently has a fan score of 80% on review site Rotten Tomatoes, and a critic score under 50%. Hope versus cynicism? Expectation versus reality? It鈥檚 hard to say. But what 鈥淲ish鈥� offers is middle ground.

We enter the story from the perspective聽of King Magnifico, a ruler who seemingly uses his magic to grant people鈥檚 wishes. We learn later that Magnifico has a monopoly on the townspeople鈥檚 desires, under the pretense that he is judge, jury, and elocutioner. Chris Pine鈥檚 performance is not as dynamic as Robin Williams鈥� Genie in 鈥淎laddin,鈥� but the latter is an impossible standard. Pine carries the movie with his gravitas, descending into pompousness and villainy.

Asha, the daughter of a philosopher, reflects the hope and ideals of a people. 鈥淵ou care too much,鈥� she is told early on. Empathy is a weakness, an early narrative offers. That deep concern comes into conflict with the egotistical king, and when she challenges him, he eschews altruism for authority 鈥� 鈥淚 decide what everyone deserves,鈥� he declares.

Ariana DeBose, who voices Asha, brings the chops that made her an Academy Award winner, and beyond that, a conscience to the character. The influence of Asha鈥檚聽late father is prevalent, as is her profound desire to grant the more than 80-year-old wish of her centenarian grandfather, Sabino. This internal conflict drives Asha鈥檚 personal destiny, and from there, inspires a revolution among the people of Rosas.

Asha鈥檚 anti-establishment movement might be headier stuff, if it wasn鈥檛 replete with countless callbacks from Disney movies past. Aside from the historically controversial 鈥淎laddin,鈥� 鈥淲ish鈥� draws on elements from 鈥淔antasia,鈥� 鈥淪hrek,鈥� and 鈥淪now White,鈥� among others. Critics contend that it pulls too much from Disney鈥檚 past, but the retelling of familiar narratives offer an important message: People should work together in hope of embracing their personal and communal goals.聽

Again, it is not a heavy-handed commentary, which is why Disney endures. I took my 5-year-old to the film. In a world with choices like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle revivals and live-action video game movies, it ended up being his first Disney film. He couldn鈥檛 stop talking about the 鈥済ood king who turned bad鈥� and how he was defeated by 鈥渢he good people.鈥� I was 9 when 鈥淎laddin鈥� hit theaters, and the relationship which endured for me was the one between the titular character and the Genie.

Disney is adept at delivering messages that transcend generations, and that knack remains true in 鈥淲ish.鈥� 鈥淭hrough the heart, we understand the world,鈥� one of the side characters in the film blurts out 鈥� followed by a whimsical gag line. But the message endures, as does the ability to balance seriousness with levity.

For a century, Disney has offered us all a path to escapism, and a place where expectation and reality can coexist. Cynicism chooses to call such an illusion a delusion, but Pinocchio is one example of how a beautiful lie became something much larger, and eventually, led to the truth.

鈥淚f your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme,鈥� is one of the mantras from 鈥淲hen You Wish Upon a Star,鈥� a jingle that is practically Disney鈥檚 introduction to not just movies, but many forms of its marketing.

Disney reminds us through 鈥淲ish鈥� that reminiscing shouldn鈥檛 be an indictment against originality, but a rekindling of the candle that burns in each of us 鈥� hope.