In 1999, Animaniacs was pretty much on its last leg as Kids' WB!'s signature show — many of its writers and voice actors had moved on to Histeria and Pokémon was fast becoming the most successful show of the block — but at the end of the year, the series was given a Grand Finale in the form of the direct-to-video movie Wakko's Wish.In the film's continuity, the majority of the regular cast of Animaniacs — and a few extras here and there — are living happily in Acme Falls, a nice town in the peaceful kingdom of Warnerstock that is ruled by Sir William the Good. When King William passes away, King Salazar the Pushy of the neighboring kingdom Ticktockia takes over Warnerstock and sends everyone into misery thanks to overtaxing. The Warners — Yakko, Wakko, and Dot — are a trio of orphans who are suffering more than any other Acme Falls resident, especially Dot (who is in need of a vital operation).One cold winter night, Wakko wishes upon a star — and happens to choose the one wishing star in the sky, which then falls into the mountains; the first person to touch it gets exactly one wish. The Warner siblings, eager to make their dreams come true, begin their quest to get to the wishing star so Wakko can make his wish — but the rest of the citizens of Acme Falls are after it as well, and so is King Salazar. Who will get to the wishing star first and make their wish? And will any of them find lasting happiness with a tyrant like King Salazar doing his best to take it all away?
Covers Always Lie: The traditional water tower, which is on the cover of the VHS, isn't actually anywhere in the movie. It's replaced with a crumbled-down wooden "water tower shanty" as befitting of the setting.
The King also calls Bobby, Pesto, and Squit "rats with wings," a nod to an epithet once hurled at them in the series (not to mention an actual pejorative for pigeons).
Crowd Song: Most of them features most of the main cast getting at least one solo line.
Demoted to Extra: Given the huge cast, it's not unreasonble. A notable example is Minerva Mink; other than some solo lines at the beginning, she isn't exactly a featured member of the cast, even though she pops up here and there during the musical numbers. (Then again, it's not as if she was a big part of the original show to begin with due to Executive Meddling, but still.)
Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: If King Salazar hadn't wasted time building a barricade around the Wishing Star and capturing his rivals he would have got the wish.
Disney Death: Dot, who recovers right when Wakko makes it to the star.
Averted since she wasn't even dead. She just acted like it to get the king arrested.
Yakko: Whoa! Just don't look down. Wakko: Do you get vertigo? Yakko: No. Wakko: Me neither. Yakko: Yeah, I've seen that movie three times and I still don't get it.
Earn Your Happy Ending: Everyone (except the Mime and the Big Bad) works their butts off throughout the entire movie trying to get the Wishing Star; thanks to Wakko, they end up all getting what they wanted. For Woobies like Runt, Rita, and Buttons, they really earned their happy ending — and then some!
Some of Salazar's royal army turn against him after he seemingly killed Dot.
Also, Plotz and Ralph are horrified when Salazar orders them to kill the Warners.
Everyone Hates Mimes: The Mime is the one reason that Acme Falls was not an entirely perfect place to live, and he is physically abused even through the saccharine epilogue.
Feelies: The video came with a rolling toy of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot on snowboards stuck under the plastic. Like with the VHS release of Quest for Camelot, the toy was under the plastic of the clamshell cover and difficult to remove.
Four Lines, All Waiting: Thanks to the show's Loads and Loads of Characters, the movie spends the majority of its times simply establishing what each Cast Herd wants, and spends the rest of the time flipping between them all the way to the conclusion.
Yakko: All of the shops are closin', Dot: Things couldn't get much worse, Skippy: [holding up acorns encased in ice] Even my nuts are frozen, Slappy: Be careful with that last verse!
"He used to like nuts; now he's discovered dates!"
Humble Goal: As it turns out, what Wakko really wants is two ha'pennies!
Incurable Cough of Death: Dot; subverted in that the operation she needs is actually "plastic surgery, to implant a beauty mark on her cheek," as Scratchansniff says it.
Literal Genie: The Warners try to convince Salazar that the Wishing Star is one of these, in one of the film's more hilarious scenes. He quickly loses his patience (and who can blame him?).
Littlest Cancer Patient: Dot appears to be this for much of the movie, but it turns out she was just acting the entire time, and the "surgery" she was trying to get was having a beauty mark added.
Moral Dissonance: The other residents of Acme Falls, while sympathetic to Dot's illness, immediately start thinking of their own dreams when they hear of the Wishing Star, and immediately start racing the Warner siblings to get to the star first, when it should be obvious to them that Wakko wants to wish his sister well again. What?!
May cross over into Fridge Brilliance in the ending. She was never dying at all, the surgery she wanted was for a beauty mark on her cheek.
Mundane Wish: The wish that Wakko ultimately makes is for two ha'pennies. Subverted in that spending them helps revive Acme Falls.
Multiple-Choice Past: The Warners' original backstory from the TV series is completely chucked, so that now instead of being cartoon characters created in 1930, they are the long-lost children of the king and queen whom Salazar overthrew.
In the ending, Pinky is appointed a stable hand, so he gets to spend all the time he likes with Pharfignewton. It happens that Brain was the one who appointed him.
Plant Person: Dot appears to be this, at least if we are to believe the bedtime story Yakko is always telling her.
Produce Pelting: Used in a one scene just to show how unpopular Salazar the Pushy is.
Rightful King Returns: The Warners turned out to be part of the royal line, so we see them on the thrones wearing Cool Crowns that are too big for their heads.
Series Goal: Some of the minor characters pursue the Wishing Star to resolve their subplots, e.g. Rita and Runt want a permanent home; Buttons wants to be acknowledged for his heroism; Brain wants to rule the world, etc. Most of them come true — kinda.
Shaggy Dog Story: Dot's vital operation, which turned out to be just getting her a beauty mark.
Rita and Runt get the home they've always yearned for when they are adopted by Doctor Scratchnsniff.
While he doesn't get the world, The Brain does finally achieve some political power.
Too Dumb to Live: When did the Warner's think telling everyone in town about a wishing star that they had all to themselves was a good idea?
Visual Pun: The Warners literally kick Salazar out of the palace.
Also, in the end, when Pesto says, "Finally, people are looking up to us," the "camera" pans out to reveal that he and the other two Goodfeathers are on top of a high column with statues of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot pointing to them. People are literally looking up to them.
Win Win Ending: Everyone getting his or her wish. Except for The Mime. And also King Salazar.
Zillion Dollar Bill: Because Acme Falls has fallen on such hard times, a ha'penny is treated as this, and two of them is what restores it to being perfect (except for The Mime).
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