I watched "16 Wishes" hoping for a lighthearted, feel-good flick, and to be fair, it delivered on that front. Abby (Debby Ryan) is a sweet enough character-her desire to have her 16 birthday wishes granted is relatable, and Ryan does her best to make Abby likeable. The concept had potential; who hasn't daydreamed about getting everything you wanted, only to realise that maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be?
The film, though, started to lose its spark for me when Abby's wishes started causing more chaos than joy. I didn't expect deep character development, but the rushed, shallow transformations of some of the secondary characters felt like a missed opportunity. Abby's best friend, Krista (Jean-Luc Bilodeau), seemed a bit too one-dimensional, and I honestly couldn't figure out why they were such close friends when they hardly seemed to click in a meaningful way. I know it's a light film, but even in that context, the lack of depth made the dynamics feel weak.
I also found the pacing a bit off-some scenes dragged on longer than necessary, while others skipped over details that could've been more engaging. I liked the idea of Abby using her wishes to learn important life lessons, but it felt too predictable, like you knew what was going to happen next, making it hard to get excited.
That said, the ending did bring everything together quite nicely, and there's a certain charm in the way Abby finally understands the value of her wishes. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it left me with a warm feeling. I think if the characters had been more developed and the storyline a bit tighter, this film could have been something special. Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time-just not as magical as I'd hoped.
