VCS News Movie Review: 16 Wishes

By VCS Senior Camara Crosby

The movie I chose is 16 Wishes. The genre of this film is teen/family, comedy, and fantasy. It was directed by Peter DeLuise, and the main cast includes Debby Ryan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, and Anna Mae Wills. The movie is rated TV-G.

This movie is very dramatic, and the actors really leaned into that style. Yes, I think the performances were believable. The actor who stood out the most to me was Anna Mae Wills. As the fairy godmother character, she added a lot of drama and excitement while granting the wishes. Her role brought energy and personality to the film.

Some of the characters showed clear development. For example, Krista Cook changed from being the typical “mean girl” to acting more normal and kind. Abby Jensen also experienced growth. At the beginning of the movie, she was cocky and obsessed with everything being perfect. By the end, she realized that nothing in life is truly perfect, and that’s okay.

The plot is interesting and easy to follow, although some of the fantasy elements might feel unrealistic or slightly confusing. There are many predictable moments in the movie. For example, each time a wish is granted, you can usually guess what will happen next. However, the pacing of the film flows well and keeps the story moving.

16 Wishes is about a teenage girl who receives 16 magical birthday candles, each representing a wish from a list she made when she was younger. As her wishes are granted, she gains popularity and gets everything she thinks she wants. At its core, the movie teaches young girls that chasing perfection is unrealistic and that getting everything you want isn’t always as wonderful as it seems.

This movie makes me laugh every time I watch it. When I was younger, I saw it as a fun fantasy. Now, it reminds me that sometimes getting exactly what you want can feel overwhelming and may not bring true happiness.

One of the best scenes is when Abby wishes for the perfect outfit and ends up shopping in the janitor’s closet. She walks out in a stylish outfit while everyone else, who tries to shop there too, comes out holding cleaning supplies. It’s funny and memorable. I also thought the slow-motion volleyball scene, where she spikes the ball at Krista Cook, was very visually dramatic.

Debby Ryan gave the strongest performance in the film. She made the story feel believable and fun. One of the most creative ideas in the movie was matching each candle to a wish from her childhood list. As a kid, I definitely wished those candles were real!

I don’t think there are major plot holes, although sometimes the way the wishes play out doesn’t fully make sense. Still, I didn’t notice weak dialogue, underused characters, or boring parts.

Overall, this movie is nostalgic and especially enjoyable for girls around my age. I think it’s best suited for viewers ages 7 and up. My star rating is 4.6 out of 5. While there are a few flaws in how some wishes are granted, I love this movie and grew up watching it, which makes my rating high.