Wish review: family fun, with laugh-out-loud chickens (if you're eight)

Wish has it all for a perfectly enjoyable family movie. There's nothing especially revolutionary here, but when you've taken your eight-year-old out to the movies, as I’d done, then revolution isn't necessarily what you're after. 

The traditional feeling story follows Asha (Ariana DeBose), our 17-year-old heroine, who's incredibly nervous about her upcoming assistant interview with King Magnifico  — his name might give you a clue that he thinks rather a lot of himself! 

To the kingdom, Magnifco (Chris Pine) is an almost God-like figure, who houses their wishes in his castle and protects their very real wishes from harm. Occasionally, he even sees it fit to grant one of their wishes. Supported by his obedient Queen, Magnifico seems like the perfect monarch. Asha thinks she's blown her job interview when she touches enchanted glass that's protecting a magical book. Magnifico warns her that the spells within are forbidden and that's why the book is behind the glass. 

The pair seem to be getting on famously, but when she questions why he doesn’t grant all the wishes his people make, you see a flash of greed in his eyes. They are his wishes! He owns them, not the people who wished them, and he alone shall decide who he grants them to. The movie gets going when Asha wishes upon a star and is rather surprised to be joined by an actual star with magical powers. Star's soon giving a goat a surprisingly deep voice and — in a scene that caused my daughter to laugh out loud — making chickens dance. 

When Asha via Star's magic creates a magical light show that enraptures the town's people, Magnifico tells his subjects she's evil and must be stopped at all costs. Tempted at last to cast the spells in the forbidden magic book, Magnifico loses all pretense of being a kind ruler and turns into a true Disney villain.

So, Asha, Star, a talking goat, and, eventually her initially reluctant friends, are on a mission to defeat Magnifico and return to everyone their wishes. 

The movie zips along and there are enough catchy musical numbers to enjoy. Magnifico makes for a suitably entertaining villain, while Star truly shines as the sidekick every Disney heroine needs. Yes, there’s nothing amazingly original about the plot, but you come out with a smile on your face and a very happy child.

Note, there's a nice little scene at the end of the credits which is worth hanging on for.

Disney's Wish is now playing everywhere exclusively in movie theaters.