Spoiler alert: In this column, I discuss the plot of the movie “Wish” and dissect certain elements of the story that will detract from the experience for those who want to view the movie with fresh eyes.

If you fall into that category, I recommend watching the movie first before continuing.

Disney movies have changed quite a lot over the past several decades. For example, I was impressed when I saw “Moana” (2016), and I thought the modern take of a hero’s journey cleverly hid themes of the urgency of climate change, sustainability and environmentalism.

These allegories are hidden in plain sight, and those with a critical eye can easily find examples of progressive environmentalist ideologies throughout the movie.

When I went to see “Wish” with my family, I did not know anything about it. I thought it started slow and the animation style was unusual and even distracting at times.

IMDB summarizes it as a story about a young girl named Asha who “wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.”

What I found most fascinating about the movie was the magnanimous king-turned-villain Magnifico. Magnifico learned sorcery to create his successful and bustling kingdom.

He has the power to grant wishes, but he decides which wishes will bring the most benefit to his kingdom of Rosas.

Each person in Rosas gives a wish to king Magnifico, but in return they do not remember the wish unless it is granted.

Wishes are held captive in the king’s castle and since every wish has a component of risk (there is no guarantee that the individual could realize them), Magnifico relieves them of the burden of their dreams.

“I decide what everyone deserves” is a common refrain from Magnifico throughout.

On the surface of the fairy tale, “Wish” is a story about the corruption of power on once well-meaning individuals.

I see a parallel to our capitalist society, which has learned to worship the people who have accumulated power and built empires the likes of Amazon and Tesla.

In possession of such power, individuals can falsely believe in their own infallibility and turn their focus to aspirations beyond the greater good.

In this light, Magnifico can very well be interpreted as an allegory for a modern-day technology billionaire.

Modern sorcery is akin to a tech billionaire’s ability to manipulate unregulated technology sectors, government and capitalist structures to amass immense power, wealth and influence.

They have the ability to grant the wishes of every day people like you and me, and it would make little or no difference to them.

Billionaires could use their wealth to turn the tide on any number of crises facing humanity: climate change, hunger, homelessness, mass migrations, wars and so on.

So yes, it is noteworthy that Disney seems to be weaving progressive messaging into their movies. Hopefully without spoiling the movie completely, I am not saying that the moral of the story is that common people are less worthy of their dreams than billionaires.

But, it is interesting to think about how the systems that every day folk navigate, the same systems that billionaires built or rise above, do not amount to some grand vision of prosperity for everyone.

Instead, childhood dreams can seem like aspirational fiction never to be realized.

Dan Hahn can be reached at dhahn@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.