Searcher Clade (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the son of world renowned explorer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid). He’s spent his life, however, being known as the father of modern energy after having discovered the world’s greatest resource. He now has a wife, Meridian (Gabrielle Union), and a son, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White)–and he has new priorities, beyond exploring like his father. He’s tasked himself with being a better man than his father, but those who knew him years ago need him more than ever. He must now navigate this Strange World, because the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
First thing’s first, Strange World is woke as fuck; but for the first time (maybe ever) I don’t hate that about it. Disney has been trending in this direction for some time, prepared to deliver instances of wokeness in each and every one of its films–but those things always feel forced. Here, in Strange World, it’s delivered to viewers in a more subtle, acceptable fashion that the world has gotten used to. We don’t have interracial couples and gay teenagers shoved down our throats for nearly two hours, however; these things are developed organically and in a fashion that viewers everywhere should be able to accept. I never felt that Disney forced these ideas on me, and regardless of your opinions on the subject, I believe that Strange World delivers in a way that everyone can appreciate.
Strange World explores a part of the family dynamic that hasn’t often made its way into Disney films. It explores the dysfunctional family dynamic, and while that has existed in previous films, it feels that Strange World takes this one step further. This film finds a way to explore something new, something we all know to some degree, but don’t always see in children’s films–and it captures the reality of these things with great aplomb. Viewers are able to appreciate a series of family struggles that they may have little experience with, and as those viewers are pulled further and further into the narrative, Strange World continues to present them with an understanding of the world in which we live–and it’s incredible.
My biggest issue with Strange World is that it feels incredibly derivative of a series of films that came before it. I see pieces of The Croods, Avatar, Beauty and the Beast, and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back strewn throughout the film. These are legendary films, and you’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people that dislike these films–so using pieces of these films isn’t the worst idea, but it seems a bit beneath what Disney typically brings to the table. Why does the film need to use parts of these aforementioned (and other) films? The reality is that it doesn’t. A shift in animation, minor changes to the villains, etc. could have separated Strange World from numerous other projects that came before it–and I believe that this would have made the film more enjoyable.
As a whole, Strange World explores a series of themes and ideas that might be just out of reach for younger audiences. Much of what occurs throughout the film appeals to a more mature audience, and I enjoy that very much about what Directors Don Hall and Gui Nguyen create. Death and destruction exist throughout the film in its entirety, reaching that more mature audience–and I think that’s a good thing. These more mature themes are expressed in a way that I think younger children won’t be able to understand, but rather they maneuvered themselves in a way that reaches out and touches older viewers.
Strange World is the newest venture in Disney’s dossier, and, while there are certainly some issues that befall this animated film, it manages to reach viewers in a series of ways that Disney hasn’t yet focused on. I appreciate the fact that Strange World isn’t aggressive in its approach, but that they are willing to take risks, that they explore the unknown while allowing viewers to see and understand the familiar. Strange World certainly doesn’t fail–but it also doesn’t live up to the standards that Disney put in place for itself. There’s passion strewn throughout this film, and it will certainly reach viewers, but there are aspects of Strange World that don’t quite measure up to its predecessors.
Directed by Don Hall & Qui Nguyen.
Written by Qui Nguyen.
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu, Legend, Splat, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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