Wish (4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook Review)
Wish seemed like a sure-fire hit when trailers were released. A throwback to the classic Disney features of the past, the film practically came with a built in audience of children AND adults. But on a $200 million dollar budget and making $185 Million worldwide proved otherwise. The trend of Disney animated features of any kind not doing well continues, and for me anyway, this feels unfair. Read my insights on Wish and make sure to click the cover art for a paid link to purchase your own copy!
Film 
In this animated musical-comedy, Asha, a sharp-witted idealist in the kingdom of Rosas, makes a powerful wish that’s answered by Star, a ball of boundless energy. Soon, Asha and Star must face a formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas—to save her community and prove that when one brave human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things happen.
Asha (Ariana DeBose) has lots of ideals and big dreams. She wants to be the apprentice to King Magnifico (Chris Pine), the keeper and granter of the wishes of the people of Rosas. Of course, kings are gon’ king, and he has not only a big head but less than savory ideals of his own. His wife Queen Amaya is of course oblivious and shows her support and love. When Asha challenges Magnifico to pick a wish for someone who has desires to reach the people, she not only loses her chance to be apprentice but puts her grandfather’s and mother’s wishes at risk too. With the help of her friends who work at the palace, and a feisty star literally named Star, Asha gains the confidence and the power to reach the people of Rosas and do incredible things!
Simple as it is, Disney nailed the concept of Wish. Instead of the incredible journey or princess tropes that carry the animated films of Disney, we get a strong character who uses her strength and kindness for good. She finds ways to be fair and to show how she cares for the people of the place she lives. Her friends coming to her aide are also full of personality and her Star… I can’t even begin to tell you how the star charmed me. Using his magic to make the animals of Rosas talk was a cute idea and one I that was all the more interesting when the things the animals said were thought provoking and smart. This being the animated film released during the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Animation, also is full to the brim with easter eggs from past films and characters. Even the credits shout out each feature length film, which only adds to the charm of Wish!
Video
NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the 4K Blu-ray
Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 2160p
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1 (Fun fact – Same Aspect Ratio as Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty)
HDR: HDR10
Layers: BD-66
Clarity/Detail: 66GB disc or not, Wish sparkles on 4K UHD Blu-ray. The overall picture quality is on par with the best animated presentations on the format, with bright brights and deep blacks. Gorgeous through and through and the HDR Highlights are blindingly bright at times. It’s also presented in a very widescreen aspect ratio, so yes, your black bars are bigger than normal.
Depth: Animation can sometimes be a mixed bag with foreground and background, but Wish is faithful to the digital source. The charm of the film and animation is that it carries an old school feel that is very pleasing to the eye. Crowds and interiors are drawn with a lot of thought going into how they’ll look in and out of focus. Everything looks like singular perfection to my eyes!
Black Levels: No black crush was in evidence in any moment of the film.
Color Reproduction: Colors pop throughout. If animation was flat would we be awed by it so much? The colors here lean towards cool blues and bright greens and they look fabulous on this disc.
Flesh Tones: N/A
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (7.1 TrueHD), Japanese, Spanish and French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Dynamics: I am so glad to report that Wish continues the non-neutered sound of the most recent Disney releases. The volume levels are perfect, and this mix is very dynamic and engaging. This is how Atmos should be!
Height: In the upper channels, we are hearing many things, from floating wishes to music swelling to gathered crowds or nature spaces.
Low-Frequency Extension: Not only music, but sound effects carry quite a bit of heft. The powerful sorcery at play in the film leaves lots of moments for bass to hit.
Surround Sound Presentation: Surround channels also highlight what the height channels do, but they don’t move around the room as much as the heights do. They stay in their place and they deliver exactly how they should. Another shining highlight of this great mix.
Dialogue Reproduction: Excellent dialogue placement throughout.
Extras
Extras for Wish are very complimentary and also help to place the film’s many easter eggs for other Disney properties! Note that Wish is only available on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Walmart in steelbook form. Special features are on the Blu-ray only. The steelbook itself is gorgeous, showcasing a nice moment from the film.
Special Features:
Once Upon A Studio (8:48): An adorable little short about Disney Animation Studios and the cartoons coming to life.
100 Years in the Making: The Making of Wish (1:04:00): A surprisingly extensive documentary about the making of the film.
Wish D-Classified (6:27): A guide to all the Disney easter eggs in the film.
Outtakes (2:44)
Deleted Song “A Wish Worth Making” with Directors Intro (2:54)
5 Deleted Scenes
Individual Song Selections
Summary
Enough time has passed for us to know that Wish didn’t live up to expectations box office wise. It’s a shame, because the film is actually good, and one that has a simple premise which in my humble opinion is admirable. The film’s message is sweet, the songs are different in a good way and Ariana DeBose continues to shine in all the roles she takes on. The Walmart Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook is the way to go if you’re collecting, and is actually of high quality technically too! Worth a look on Disney+ if you’re curious and worth a blind buy if you love Disney animation!
