Where does "Wish" fall into the Disney Universe. Welcome to MsMojo, and today, we’re discussing how “Wish” ties into the larger Disney Universe.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "Three, two, one, Astra!"
00:02 "I'm here, I'm here.
00:04 Whew, just one second, let me catch my breath."
00:08 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're discussing how Wish ties into the larger Disney universe.
00:14 Since we'll be providing a deep dive into the film, expect a few spoilers.
00:18 "I have a few thousand questions, starting with how is any of this possible?"
00:25 Wish marks Disney's 62nd animated feature.
00:28 More significantly, it coincides with Disney's 100th anniversary, containing a century's
00:33 worth of references and iconic symbols.
00:35 "Last night, I made a wish on a star.
00:38 Ah, and the star answered."
00:42 With an art style that blends the warm watercolors of yesteryear with cutting-edge computer technology,
00:47 the film truly feels like a culmination of Disney animation, bringing the studio's journey
00:52 full circle.
00:53 But what if Wish is actually at the root of its predecessors?
00:56 "We pinned a still from every single one of the movies we've done on a board.
01:03 You could see the breadth of all the Disney animated features."
01:06 Okay, Wish might not take place before Dinosaur or Fantasia's Rite of Spring sequence, but
01:11 its themes and motifs align with the fairy tales that Disney's best known for.
01:16 Wish could be seen as an origin story for all of these classic hallmarks, placing it
01:20 near the beginning of a shared Disney universe.
01:23 "And our story begins on that most joyful day."
01:27 "On that joyful day, on that joyful day."
01:37 Encompassing the same aspect ratio as Sleeping Beauty, Wish is nostalgia overload from the
01:42 opening scene as we zoom in on a familiar font against a storybook.
01:46 The ensuing tale includes nods to everything from Mary Poppins to the Disney Channel mouse
01:50 ear logo.
01:51 "Welcome to Rose House, come on, come this way.
01:53 Where the greatest creations are all on display."
01:57 Some in-jokes are more deep cut than others.
01:59 A group of Fantasia-esque mushrooms mimic Prince Hans when they say that they "love
02:04 crazy," while the villainous King Magnifico channels Ursula when he cackles "so much for
02:08 true love."
02:10 Protagonist Asha pays homage to several other Disney heroines.
02:14 Like Snow White, Asha has a way with animals, hangs out around wishing wells, and even has
02:18 seven friends who range from sleepy to grumpy.
02:22 "It's us and the strength we've found, it's too loud."
02:27 Asha is just as much in the spirit of more modern heroines like Belle, longing for more
02:31 as she sings her heart out and blows dandelion puffs into the wind.
02:35 Unlike most other Disney heroines, Asha isn't a princess, although she could join the official
02:40 lineup alongside Mulan.
02:41 "Is she allowed to do that?"
02:42 "No."
02:43 "Is she allowed to do that?"
02:51 In the confines of the story, Asha doesn't become a member of royalty, but she eyes the
02:56 position of Sorcerer's Apprentice.
02:58 The dynamic between Asha and Magnifico is similar to Yen Sid and Mickey, albeit in reverse.
03:03 In that incarnation, the Apprentice plays with magic that they don't entirely understand,
03:08 forcing the Sorcerer to step in.
03:10 In Wish, Magnifico embraces dark magic, requiring Asha to save the day with bravery, the truth,
03:17 and unselfishness.
03:18 "You mean we take them back ourselves?"
03:20 "But if we take them, isn't that stealing?
03:24 I mean, we can't just…"
03:26 "Right.
03:27 They don't belong to him, do they?"
03:28 Asha is rewarded with a magic wand, being deemed the kingdom of Rosa's fairy godmother.
03:34 Although Asha now possesses a wand, she doesn't simply grant everybody's wishes.
03:38 "I'm sure there will be challenges that bind me, but I can take them on one at a time."
03:46 It's implied that she'll use her magic to help push people in the right direction,
03:50 allowing them to make their wishes a reality.
03:53 You could argue that Cinderella's fairy godmother took a similar approach.
03:56 "It's like a dream.
03:58 A wonderful dream come true."
04:01 "Yes, my child.
04:03 But like all dreams.
04:04 Well, I'm afraid this can't last forever."
04:07 Yes, she used magic to send Cinderella to the ball, but after midnight, it was up to
04:12 our heroine to pursue what she wanted.
04:15 Perhaps Asha is the forerunner in what will ultimately be a long line of fairy godmothers,
04:20 as well as other wand wielders such as Merlin, Sleeping Beauty's three fairies, and even
04:25 the Blue Fairy.
04:26 "Well, we'll see."
04:27 "You mean maybe you will?"
04:29 "I shouldn't wonder."
04:30 Where Asha is promoted to fairy godmother, Magnifico is demoted to prisoner.
04:36 The fallen king becomes trapped inside a mirror attached to his staff.
04:39 "All I really want is just a little respect.
04:43 And this is the thanks I get."
04:46 It's a clear homage to the magic mirror from Snow White, but maybe Magnifico's fate runs
04:51 deeper than we think.
04:52 What if Magnifico's humanity continues to deteriorate inside the mirror, eventually
04:57 becoming nothing but a disembodied head?
05:00 Somewhere down the line, Snow White's stepmother found Magnifico's mirror, making him her servant.
05:05 "Through wind and darkness, I summon thee.
05:08 Speak.
05:09 Let me see thy face."
05:14 "What wouldst thou know, my queen?"
05:19 You have to admit Magnifico and the queen's magic mirror possess a similar green glow.
05:24 They also have links to poisoned apples.
05:26 As for what happens to the staff, we wouldn't be surprised if it fell into the hands of
05:30 Maleficent, who shares a few visual motifs with Magnifico.
05:34 "Why some melancholy?
05:37 A wondrous future lies before you."
05:40 When people theorize about the possibility of a shared Disney universe, animals present
05:44 an inconsistency with some able to talk and others being silent.
05:48 Wish potentially provides an explanation.
05:50 "Sole!"
05:51 "See, we were all just little nebulae in a nursery from supernovas.
05:54 Now we've grown into our history."
05:56 In the beginning, Asha's pet goat Valentino and Rosas's woodland critters lack the ability
06:01 to speak.
06:02 Once the magical star sprinkles some of its golden dust, Valentino sounds more like Alan
06:07 Tudyk.
06:08 "Oh, something's happened."
06:09 "I'm talking!
06:10 I am talking!
06:11 Ha!
06:12 Who knew my voice would be this low?"
06:13 In addition to the other animals, Star gives sentient life to the kingdom's flowers and
06:17 trees.
06:18 It's possible that all talking animals and plants in the Disney canon cross paths with
06:22 the same stardust.
06:23 "Oh, goddess, the tree is talking to me."
06:24 "Then you should talk back."
06:25 "Don't be frightened, young man.
06:26 My bark is worse than a tree's bark."
06:27 "I'm not afraid of you."
06:28 "I'm not afraid of you."
06:29 "I'm not afraid of you."
06:30 "I'm not afraid of you."
06:31 "My bark is worse than my bite."
06:33 Meanwhile, the Silent Ones are still wishing upon a star.
06:36 By the way, did you spot Thumper, Bambi, and Little John among Rosas's animal population?
06:42 "And you!
06:43 Who might you be, sir?"
06:46 "I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney.
06:50 And don't stick your tongue out at me, kid."
06:53 Wish may also secretly be an origin story for a certain boy who never grows up.
06:58 Magnifico cheekily alludes to Neverland while crushing people's wishes.
07:01 "Can't you just give them back instead?"
07:03 "Excuse me?"
07:04 "The wishes you're not going to grant, you could just give them back."
07:08 One of Rosas's residents wishes to fly through the air.
07:12 While she doesn't get this precise wish, she is encouraged to work on a flying machine
07:16 with a man named Peter, who's draped in green.
07:19 This Peter is too old to be the pan.
07:22 However, what if the development of this flying machine sparks a romance between these two?
07:27 Maybe they have a son who's equally fascinated by flight, except his wish literally comes
07:32 true.
07:33 "Watch me now.
07:34 Here I go.
07:35 It's easier than pie."
07:36 "He can fly!"
07:37 "He can fly!"
07:38 Star's stardust isn't that far off from Tinkerbell's pixie dust.
07:44 Throw in a bit of faith and trust, and Peter is destined for the second star to the right.
07:49 "Here we go!
07:51 Up to Neverland!"
07:54 Whether or not Wish sets up the events of Peter Pan, Disney has promoted the film as
07:58 an origin story for the wishing star.
08:01 Does that mean Star is the same star from Pinocchio and the Princess and the Frog?
08:05 "Okay, you can't beat.
08:06 I mean, I know I wished on a… but no."
08:11 There are too many inconsistencies for that theory to really add up, but Star could be
08:16 one of several wishing stars that populate the sky.
08:19 While each of these stars has magical properties, none of them instantly fulfill the protagonist's
08:24 innermost desires.
08:25 "You know what I wished?
08:26 I wished that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy.
08:35 Wouldn't that be nice?"
08:39 In Pinocchio, Geppetto's wish materializes into the Blue Fairy, giving the wooden puppet
08:44 life.
08:45 Yet Pinocchio himself must prove himself worthy of being a real boy for the wish to be realized.
08:50 Tiana turns to the Evening Star, but as her father told her, that's just one step in achieving
08:55 a dream.
08:56 "That old star can only take you part of the way.
08:59 You gotta help it along with some hard work of your own, and then, yeah, you can do anything
09:05 you set your mind to."
09:07 Wish elaborates on this idea.
09:08 Although Star comes to Asha during her hour of need, it isn't a genie.
09:13 Star serves more as a guiding light, helping Asha summon the strength to make her dream
09:17 a reality.
09:18 "Wha-?
09:19 Wait, wait!
09:20 Slow down!
09:21 We need a plan!"
09:22 Asha aspires to realize all of the wishes that Magnifico has taken from others.
09:26 By returning those wishes, the people of Rosas are free to chase after them.
09:30 "You make it so they forget the most beautiful part of themselves.
09:34 And they don't know what they're missing.
09:37 But you do.
09:39 And now I do."
09:41 Not all of those wishes are guaranteed to come true, but they'll still remain an important
09:45 part of every person.
09:47 A lot of hard work goes into realizing any dream.
09:49 If your heart is in that dream, though, no request is too extreme.
09:54 Like a bolt out of the blue, fate may step in and see you through.
10:07 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
10:11 about our latest videos.
10:13 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:18 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:23 This leads to the film's post-credits scene where Asha's 100-year-old grandfather Sabino
10:27 fulfills his dream, writing a song that will inspire future generations.
10:31 The tune is, of course, "When You Wish Upon a Star."
10:44 Wish gets to the heart of what the Disney anthem is truly about.
10:48 Merely wishing is never enough.
10:50 Every Disney hero's journey starts with a wish.
11:04 Whether it's to answer the ocean's call or to be part of the human world, a wish gives
11:09 them the spark needed to keep moving forward.
11:11 Otherwise, you're just waiting for your life to begin.
11:14 It's safe to assume that Sabino's song didn't just inspire Rosas' future generations.
11:18 It extended beyond the sea, with the likes of Jiminy Cricket spreading the message around
11:23 the world.
11:42 Whether or not there's actually a Disney universe, this film embodies what bonds every Disney
11:46 hero with an "I Want" song in their heart, the wishes that encourage them to reach for
11:51 the stars.
11:52 What did you think of Wish?
11:54 Did you catch any ties to other Disney movies?
11:56 Share your thoughts in the comments.
12:07 Do you agree with our picks?
12:08 Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
12:11 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
12:16 Thanks for watching.
12:22 (music)
12:24 (upbeat music)