Wish | 2023 | PG | – 1.3.1

Why is “Wish” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “thematic elements and mild action.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a woman kissing the statue of a man, people referring to a man as very handsome, several scenes of peril with a teen girl fighting a powerful wizard and causing some distress to people but without injuries or permanent damage, discussions and displays of magic and spells that include flashes of light and people’s eyes glowing green, discussions of the universe and stars, a few arguments, and several exclamations and name-calling. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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Animated feature about a teenage girl (voiced by Ariana DeBose) who, after being disappointed by the King (voiced by Chris Pine) of her seemingly perfect hometown, makes a wish on a star, with very unexpected results. Also with the voices of Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén and Niko Vargas. Directed by Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn. [Running Time: 1:35]

Wish SEX/NUDITY 1

 – A woman sings lyrics that include “Someone that I’d like to kiss,” and she kisses the lips of the statue of a man that people (including himself) refer to in several scenes as very handsome.
► People dance with hip shakes in a village square.

Wish VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – A teen girl challenges a man and speeds away in a cart as he chases her on horseback; the cart grows legs and climbs up a shear wall, she is cornered and thrown to the ground by a guard and a large bear tackles him allowing the girl to get away; we hear the man scream off-screen after he is surrounded by many small rabbits. A man wraps a teen girl in glowing strands of light and holds her in the air in a few scenes. Many people are held by strands of light wrapped around their wrists and they are pulled to their knees when they chant and protest what a man is doing. A man traps a small star in the end of his magic spear and seems to be absorbing its power as he laughs maniacally. A man is zapped by a blast of light from a magic wand and his face seems to distort; we see him trapped behind a mirror later.
► A man angrily kicks a suit of armor, stomps up a flight of stairs, opens a large book of spells and sends bursts of light across a room. A fire starts among papers in a study and a teen girl puts it out (no one is harmed). Several guards with swords try to stop a family from running away (they get away unharmed). A teen girl jumps off a boat and swims to shore with a young sheep on her shoulders that says, “Shark,” but there is not a shark.
► A man holds a glowing orb (containing a woman’s wish) in his hand and crushes it causing a woman to feel faint and she says she feels grief. A man holds and crushes three glowing orbs containing people’s wishes and he seems to be imbued with strength from them, as the people grieve the loss. A teenage girl touches a glass barrier that she is told has a spell on it and what looks like glowing bugs encircle her and she tries to swat them away (she is not harmed). A large stream of light holds many glowing orbs and resembles a claw. We see shadow images that resemble a demon with sharp teeth and it spins around.
► A teen girl runs away from her home and makes a wish on a star and a beam of light flashes through the sky, gets caught in a pair of long johns hanging on a clothesline and unravels the yarn as the teen chases it. After a star spreads glowing glitter on non-verbal creatures, they are able to speak and be understood. A teen girl tugs on a journal and accidentally slaps herself in the face with it.
► We hear that magic is forbidden and that anyone that does magic will be punished. Wanted banners are posted for a teen girl in hiding. A man yells and glares at a teen girl when she questions what he is doing. A woman orders that a man be taken to the dungeon. People discuss that we are all made from the same stuff, stardust. A teen girl is told that a wish is too vague and could influence generations to do unsavory things. A teen girl and a man talk about having lost people important to them. A man yells and runs out of an interview saying that it was a disaster. A teen girl says that she is nervous about an interview and says that she can’t feel her face. A teen boy is distressed by what he saw, “Come out of that one’s… [chicken] [anatomical term deleted].” A man complains that a dungeon smells really bad.
► A room is filled with sparkling and floating orbs that we are told contain people’s wishes. A man sneezes on another person’s cookie and we see goo drip off it; another person takes the cookie and eats it. A man appears to be seasick as he gags at the side of a ship (we do not see him vomit). A chicken is zapped and increases in size and lays a large egg that lands on a teen boy pinning him to the ground briefly (he complains but is not harmed).

Wish LANGUAGE 1

 – 1 mild anatomical term, name-calling (irrational, boring, greedy thieves, crazy, overwhelmed, most corrupt, amateurish, traitor, gigantically humongous, awful, deceived, petulant), exclamations (knock on wood, not fair, oh my, don’t panic, I’m seeing things). | profanity glossary |

Wish SUBSTANCE USE

 – None.

Wish DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Wishes, magic, sorcery, dreams, love, generosity, greed, fear, philosophy, trust, introverts, loyalty, betrayal, desperation, inspiration, respect, revolution, genetics, fairy tales, the universe, utopia, happiness, truth.

Wish MESSAGE

 – We understand the world through our hearts. Never trust a handsome face.