Disney piles on the nostalgia but magic touch is missing

3 stars

If you've followed the world of Disney at all in the past year, you'd be well aware that this year is Disney's 100^th.

From multiple retail partnerships to new logos and the launch of Australia's own Disney cruise, the "Disney 100" fervour has been steadily developing all year.

It all culminates with Wish, the latest animated adventure from Walt Disney Studios.

The film is filled to the brim with subtle and glaringly overt references and nods to many other entries in the Disney catalogue, and the closing credits are accompanied by charming drawings of most main characters from the past century.

Wish has quite a different look, animation-wise, than most recent Disney films. It is reminiscent of the hand-drawn, watercolour history of the House of Mouse, but still utilises technology to achieve ideas that wouldn't have been possible in the past.

There's a charming nostalgia about this style, but that might not quite land for the youngest of viewers. With its cool colour palette of blues and purples, it's quite pretty too look at, without being as stunning as the likes of Raya and the Last Dragon or Frozen II.

The film follows teen Asha (voiced enthusiastically by Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, West Side Story), who lives in the fictional Mediterranean city of Rosas, which was founded and is ruled by King Magnifico (Chris Pine, who does a commendable job singing).

Magnifico has travelled the world to learn the ways of magic, and has developed a skill which allows him to protect his citizens' most passionate wishes - when they turn 18, he hears their dreams and keeps them safe in individual orbs in his study. However, once their wishes have been relinquished, the citizens of Rosas no longer remember what they had desired, and this can affect their personality.

Every so often, Magnifico will retrieve a wish he deems suitable and grant it, and everyone dreams that this time will be their time.

But when Asha learns that Magnifico has no intention of granting a great many wishes, she loses her faith in the ruler and society in Rosas, and makes her own wish on a star, that things could be different. She's mighty surprised when that twinkle in the sky (inventively named 'Star') actually comes down and starts sprinkling magic dust around, granting Asha's adorable baby goat Valentino a voice (courtesy of the always excellent Alan Tudyk, whose lines consistently get the biggest laughs in the whole film) and anthropomorphising the forest.

Asha decides to liberate her family's wishes, but in so doing makes an enemy of the King, who edges closer and closer to villain territory as the film progresses.

What is impressive about Magnifico as a villain is that he comes across as a charming, benevolent ruler. He's smooth, has a loving wife and oversees a diverse, thriving society. But, much like in life, people who seem perfect on the outside might just turn out to be narcissists, and people in positions of power can often become corrupted by it. This is explored in his catchy song This is the Thanks I Get?!, written, like all on the soundtrack, by Julia Michaels.

There are a number of crowd-pleasing songs throughout the film but the stand-out has to be Knowing What I Know Now, an ensemble number that builds and swells and might just bring an amenable cinema audience to applause. Littered throughout the film are numerous hints to other Disney stories, from Asha's seven best friends sharing the traits of the Seven Dwarfs, to Magnifico declaring "so much for true love" à la Ursula, and a very satisfying nod to Pinocchio in a post-credit scene.