Wakko’s Wish
Directed by Liz Holzman, Rusty Mills, and Tom Ruegger.
Starring the voices of Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Sherri Stoner, Nancy Cartwright, Frank Welker, and Paxton Whitehead.
I tend to shy away from DTV (direct to video) stuff. I mean, do we really need all those Disney sequels? But Warner Bros. tends to put out pretty decent stuff. Case in point: Batman: Sub-Zero, which many claimed to be better than the theatrical Batman & Robin. So, when I heard that they were doing a DTV Animaniacs movie, I knew I had to be first in line to rent it.
Things aren’t going well in the town of Acme Falls. Ever since that evil King Salazar took over, the poor townsfolk have been taxed to death. Hardest hit: the Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister). The orphanage closed, and they have no home, and Dot needs an operation. Late one night, Wakko makes a wish upon a star. And, by sheer luck, it is the one, the only, wishing star! So, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot set out on a quest to where the wishing star landed so they can make their wish. (Wishes have to be made in person, you see.) Of course, word travels quick in Acme Falls, and soon the entire cast of Animaniacs, from Slappy Squirrel to Pinky and the Brain, are off to find the wishing star! And naturally, the evil king wants it for his own evil purposes.
This is one of the funniest animated films I’ve seen in a long time! The songs are also pretty good. The film starts off with a bang, but kind of slows down in the middle, where the jokes take a back seat to an endless stream of musical numbers. But, things pick up again, and it ends with some vintage Animaniacs humour. This is pure, inspired lunacy. If you want to laugh, go rent it. It won’t disappoint.