Well, it’s a big swing, anyway, even if it’s a miss: Disney’s latest animated effort goes full Carl “We Are Star Stuff” Sagan and takes aim at the Judeo-Christian God. Except here, he’s the allegedly benevolent king Magnifico, who realizes early in life that wishes are super important, the things that make us what we are, and so builds a kingdom where anyone can come and…give him their wishes when they turn 18, which wishes they will then forget entirely. Oh sure, he grants a few every year, which keeps the populace placated, believing in his goodness, and affirming his handsomeness. (Man, Chris Pine just keeps working that “charm is deceptive” thing, doesn’t he? And he gets a truly villainous moment here — his song about how “This is the Thanks I Get” provides a properly frightening image of a vainglorious God raging at his fragile creation for its failure to love him enough.) Good thing there’s a plucky (and adorably awkward) young gal named Asha who has the moxie to reject the whole “Surrender your will to Providence” thing, turn to the Disney theme song, and wish upon a star. Or rather, wish upon ye olde Power of the Human Spirit — because as the singing animals tell us, the reason we keep looking to the stars is because that’s what we are. The lil’ star that answers her plea is helpful, sort of — it’s hard to say what it can and can’t do, exactly — and besides, the point here is that if we’re gonna get saved, we’re gonna have to do it ourselves. Yes, a big swing. But still a miss, because the jokes aren’t very funny; the animation is a weird mashup of painterly backgrounds, moving drawings, and plasticine faces; and the songs feel like some theater kid's homemade imitation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tongue-tripping patter. (Yes, they rhyme “prob” with “job” here.) After a while, you and your little ones may be tempted to check out of the story and just concentrate on the references to Disney’s past glories, of which there are a great many. Some make sense — that evil green flame! Some are just…there. Hi, Peter Pan? (2023) — Sgt. Tiki