Der 16. Wunsch

For every 2006 kid that usually switched on Disney channel, this is THE childhood movie.

I remember them replaying it usually and I've always watched it because of Debby Ryan , because I started missing Jessie i little bit too much.

The story has an interesting point. Kind of stolen from their original cartoons such as Snow White and Cinderella.

The acting is on top for a kids movie from the 2000s'

The idea of having your 16 wishes throughout a whole day of adventures then suddenly ending up being 21 doesn't really add up to me much ,but I guess it still works ,since it shows how good it is to be a child.

As an older brother to a younger sibling who frequents Disney Channel fare, I often sit down with her to watch certain Disney movies/shows. Some I enjoy, while others (like this one) are just a bit too contrived/silly to draw in anyone but the youngest of viewers.

For a basic plot summary, "16 Wishes" tells the 16th birthday story of Abby Jenson (Debby Ryan). When her big day gets off on the wrong foot, Abby is granted 16 b-day wishes by a magical being. As the wishes mount, Abby begins to realize what a 16th birthday really SHOULD be all about.

In pretty much all cases, current Disney fare walks the fine line between charming and cheesy. The good stuff (e.g. High School Musical, Wizards of Waverly Place) stay charming, while the others descent into contrived silliness. In this case, the storyline is just too predictable to ever really suck you in.

On a more positive note, the acting in this film is very watchable. Ryan may just be the next big Disney star (for better or worse), while Jean-Luc Bilodeau (of Kyle XY fame) nearly steals the show as Abby's best friend. The "villain" of the story is way too over-the-top, but other than that the characters are quite well done.

Basically, this is a flick for younger children (no questionable material) and the earliest of pre- teens. Viewers of any older age will realize the silliness and tune out before reaching the finale.

"People will stop treating me like a kid" is one of the 16 wishes that Abby Jensen has been collecting and writing on a highly decorated piece of paper for eight years now, when she was half the age she is today, on her sweet 16th birthday's morning. Magics worked quite well for other wishes, that day: she meets her favourite pop star, she gets a new fabulous dress, and even a car and a driving license, she wins school elections, and so on. But with this particular wish magic shows a glitch: not only she is not more "treated like a kid", she actually isn't a kid anymore! (22, not so much). Misinterpretation. And she is suddenly projected into a new existence. Her parents send her to a new apartment, which she is expected to pay for with the gains of her (unexistent) job; worse: even her bff, Jay, doesn't recognize her, at the beginning. Sad. And - much worse - when he eventually remembers, she is still, for him and everybody else, an older person. Sadder. Unexplainable.

A final magic trick restores her to the morning of her birthday, and her life, to her relievement, starts again, in a new way, not like the gloomy picture acquired when she was an adult. But - hark - not even like the first start: her relationships with people, and the course of action is radically changed. Third time around, a third future (or present?), sure. There's no magic without logic.

Another Disney made for TV movie...trying to promote its' young stars. The actress this time is Debbie Ryan..who is apple fresh and glowing..and fairly talented too. She has been on another of Disneys' TV shows.."The Suite Life On Deck"..and now she gets a shot at becoming a major Disney star. The movie is typical Disney fare..the main character is faced with a major problem..seeks to find a way to fix it..and somehow manages to mess things up...because she was too greedy and wanted to be someone other than who she was. She then gets a second chance to fix things back to normal..and finally, she does...learning a lesson in the process. All is saved and everyone goes home happy. It is predictable as all things Disney are when it comes to movies..but kids should enjoy it..especially pre teen and teen girls. Fairy tales do come true...and while real life is not quite like this...it is fine family fare. The only thing I had a problem with is that I wish they would stop stereo-typing the characters so much. :)

With an all north of the border cast, The Suite Life On Deck's Debby Ryan gets to star in a Disney Studio production of 16 Wishes. The number of course is to correspond with the sweet 16 she has become. Though the sweet sixteen experience is a female one, I think even the male of the species could come up with sixteen things that could be considered pretty frivolous that one might have wished for at sixteen. Somethings you wouldn't wish for at even 26, let alone 66.

Which is the lesson Ryan learns. She's planned out her sixteenth birthday party and even though the day starts out horribly when wasps are discovered to be making a nest in the unused attic of her home, she gets those 16 candles from a 'magical person' played by Anna Mae Routledge. Sure enough as is the usual way of things in film and life, granting those wishes that she's laid out for herself doesn't make her a happier camper.

16 Wishes is a charming fantasy from that fantasy factory the Magic Kingdom. Debby Ryan is a sweet and talented young lady and she really does hold the film together. Nothing spectacular, but a nice family comedy and it does once again reinforce the old adage about being careful what you wish for.