Disney fans 'Wish' for new animation style, newest film delivers

In the wake of movies such as Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and Dreamworks' "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," animation has proven itself to be increasingly stylized. Meanwhile, Disney's animation has largely remained the same 3D style for more than a decade.

Although the style is technologically advanced and certainly beautiful, many have longed for a Disney feature that returns to the original 2D, hand-drawn animation or, at the very least, offers a visual shift.

To address these desires, Disney's newest animated film, "Wish," which was released on November 22, featured a new animation style for the studio. "Wish" blends both 3D and 2D animation and includes watercolor art inspired by original concept work from the early days of Walt Disney Animation Studios to create a style never before seen in a Disney feature.

The film, part of the 100-year celebration of the Walt Disney Company, pays homage to Disney's time-honored legacy of wishing upon stars. In this film, 17-year-old Asha, voiced by Oscar-winning Ariana DeBose, lives in the mystical "kingdom of wishes," Rosas.

In the film, many venture to this kingdom and relay their most impassioned wishes to the ruler King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine, in the hope that he will make them come true. When Asha discovers there is trouble in the kingdom, she makes a wish upon a star that is so powerful that the star comes to life as an energetic and adorable ball of shimmering light, appropriately named "Star."

As a result, Asha, Star and her sassy goat Valentino, voiced by Alan Tudyk, take on an adventure to rescue the kingdom of Rosas and make everyone's wishes come true.

The first wish this film grants is the sweet relief of a temporary deviation from Disney's perpetual string of live-action remakes and, instead, offers audiences a semblance of originality in the story, music and, of course, the animation.

This blend of 2D and 3D animation is yet another way to honor the hand-drawn animation that brought Disney its start, while also exemplifying its computer-generated animation style that has evolved over the century and will continue to evolve during the next. At the same time, the film appeals to and brings together multigenerational audiences in true Disney fashion. 

Additionally, for "Wish," even computer-generated elements have been rendered to appear as though they were hand-drawn and painted with watercolor. 

"Wish" comes at a great time for Disney, as innovative animation is becoming increasingly popular amongst audiences. Both "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" were received incredibly well with Rotten Tomatoes scores in the high 90s. This was due to a myriad of reasons, one of which was the remarkable animation that added immense depth to both films.

For "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the animation gave the film a more comic book feel akin to the Marvel stories, and "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" established a new, immersive experience compared to the first "Puss in Boots" movie and other films in the "Shrek" franchise. The creative animation allowed audiences of all ages to enjoy the films. Some even raved that each frame felt perfectly crafted and beautiful in its own right before being combined to serve the overall visual spectacle.

Animation will always play an important role in film because it provides audiences access to abstract perspectives that are unachievable in a live-action film. Animation is a powerful tool due to this flexibility and limitlessness. Emotion, symbolism and characterization are expressed through dynamic colors and shapes, conveying meaningful connections in a way that words or expressions could never do on their own. 

It is vital for animation studios to push their own boundaries and understand that establishing a distinct style for their studio does not necessarily mean that they may only use one style. Various styles can be combined to convey similar feelings and evoke similar emotions — all while feeling incredibly unique, yet also grounded and stable. Animation art is unrestricted by the suffocating limits of reality and is, therefore, able to convey intense meaning with devices inapplicable to our reality. 

Creativity in animation is boundless, and audiences are appreciative of studios who are willing to put it to the test. 

In addition to entering a new era of animation design and technology, "Wish" is anticipated to be a turning point for Disney due to its return to the telling of classic Disney tales. The simple and admittedly "Disney-ish" storyline has been received well by audiences, proving that they are open to a film that will return the feeling of "classic Disney."

Audiences are also excited for a villain who is seemingly evil for the sake of being evil, rather than a character who is morally gray vis-a-vis recent Disney villains. Fans also hope for a new classic villain song. 

With all this anticipation, one is hopeful that "Wish" will be a success and launch Disney into a new century of animation that prioritizes creativity, artistry and innovation.