Wish (2023) is Disney's centennial film, intended as a love letter to 100 years of Disney magic. It tells the story of Asha, a girl who wishes upon a star and gains a magical companion (Star) to challenge a kingdom ruled by the wish-granting King Magnifico. Despite high expectations, the film received mixed reviews and raises some specific concerns for Christian families.
Wish's central conflict is between Asha (who believes everyone deserves their wish granted) and King Magnifico (who grants only some wishes, withholding others). The film's moral is that Magnifico is wrong to exercise any authority over people's wishes, and that Asha is right to rebel and take what everyone is "owed." This anti-authority, anti-paternalism message — communicated to children ages 5-10 — is not aligned with biblical teaching on authority (Romans 13:1, Hebrews 13:17, Ephesians 6:1-3) or with the wise stewardship of power.
The irony is that Magnifico's reasoning (some wishes would harm the wisher or others) is often correct — the film does not engage this with any nuance, instead presenting his authority as inherently oppressive.
Wish features "Star" — a sentient being who falls from the sky in response to Asha's wish and grants power. The magical framework is vaguely pagan: wishing on stars as a real spiritual act, magic as an inherent cosmic force, a kingdom built around wish fulfillment as the highest good. The "wish upon a star" mythology has always been part of Disney, but Wish makes it the entire theology of the universe in ways more explicit than previous films. See Wish film overview.
No sexual content, no profanity, mild cartoon conflict. The concerns are thematic rather than content-based. Appropriate from age 5+ on content alone; the anti-authority message warrants parental discussion with children who watch it.
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