Okay, let’s check out the movie that Disney doesn’t believe in. I’ve already seen a few critics remarking on how there’s been very little advertising for this movie, thrown into cinemas and tanking, but for me, it’s all about the toys, baby! Or lack of them, that is. There’s not even a colouring book tie-in for Strange World which I find remarkable. This movie must be very bad, unmarketable, but let’s do our due diligence.
As a boy, Searcher Clade’s father took him on an expedition to explore the other side of the mountains. The road was treacherous, and Searcher made a point of stopping by a zappy green plant, that could’ve been worthy of a profound discovery, but instead, Searcher’s father, Jaeger (voiced by Denis Quaid), stormed off in a huff, while the rest of the party went home. Fast forward many years, and Jaeger hasn’t been seen again, but Searcher (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal) has been able to propagate the plant, known as Pando, and transform it into an important fuel source for the entire community, on his farm. His teenage son Ethan (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White) works on the farm too, but yearns to know more about the outside world, worrying Searcher that his boy will grow up to be boisterous like his father. The action begins when Searcher’s wife Meridian (voiced by Gabrielle Union), and former explorer turned President Callisto Mal (voiced by Lucy Lui) notice that the fuel’s shelf-life is failing, and they must investigate an underground source of disruption before losing their way of life. Ethan sneaks on board, as unbeknownst to the entire crew, they are about to enter a strange land, in what is a very strange world.
Stranger Things is now Strange World, and the upside down is very pink. I went in knowing I’m a bit over these Escherian strange-world spectacles, and for every time I was in awe of the scenery, there was probably another four times where I wasn’t. I even contemplated if these unusual creatures and boggling landscapes would look better in 2D, perhaps less busy, but who’s to know, and it’s a bit of a shameful thought when the actual animation is great again, especially remembering the detail on the fluffy inside of young Searcher’s weather jacket when it gets blown in the breeze. As you might be able to tell by my jagged plot synopsis, this movie has a laborious first act before we get to any adventure! It’s puzzling that a movie wonderfully based upon nostalgic and pulpy action-adventure serials, puts the cart before the horse, emphasizing and bluntly beating over our heads the philosophical angles of all our characters before we can have some fun. And its incomplete philosophy if you think about it – we are drearily told that leader Jaeger should listen to everyone else to assure they are happy with their lot, but then Ethan must adhere to the President’s orders when she makes decisions on their plan forward after Searcher is lost. Ethan strongholds his elders for attacking creatures instead of finding a way to coexist, while the President is bashing red squishy things out of the way, and Jaeger is burning squid monsters in their own land, as a necessary means to save the crew from getting eaten. It seems to me there are times to listen, times to adhere, times to coexist, and times to protect, but this movie isn’t interested in illuminating both sides, and it’s this heavy-handed forthright logic that’s turning many people away from Disney these days. For me, it’s also the little things, like Searcher getting zapped by the Pando, but then Jaeger not wearing gloves when he throws them, nor Searcher either, when it’s time to dig – I know that’s a nitpick, but I was still less immersed in this world because of it. But, by the time we see the huge eye, and the bigger picture is revealed, I loosened like, ‘oh okay, now I see what we’re doing’. The creatures connect like systems in a human body, and maybe I just needed a little rhyme and reason, seeing how these magical creatures interact, to get on board with the stakes of this mission. And I can nod along to the ecological message too, taking care of the external for the benefit of all.
I think Strange World can be a cautionary tale, of when choosing between what will be your A story and your B story. I definitely would’ve opened this movie with a shot of the hole opening up in the ground, that the President informs us about later on the ship, to affirm the focus of this movie actually be this ‘strange world’, and I think all the Dad angst could be rich character filler, until it’s needed at the emotional forefront later on. I’m talking about scenes where Searcher explains to Ethan how his father treated him, and the doofus Caspian (voiced by Karan Soni) asking Searcher to forge his father’s signature, showing how Searcher and the town view Jaeger before we actually meet him. Because the way they do it, the first couple of action sequences make the focus on the father’s and son’s bickering, so there’s no awe or danger to the craziness around them. From memory, Thor: Love and Thunder did a similar thing – the villain’s minions attack, and the movie uses the scene as an excuse for Thor and Jane Foster to get reacquainted instead of focusing on the fight, which cheapens the action and undercuts the stakes. I would’ve saved this movie’s opening scene, where Jaeger chooses further adventure over listening to his son, for a flashback, for after Searcher basically reacts the same way to Ethan’s desires as his father did to him. For another thing, this change-up would save the movie from telegraphing that our main character Searcher is being a pillock, and a bad father just like his own, which is so blatant, and took me right out of the movie. It’s often in these reviews I put forward suggestions that I would’ve tried instead, but I’m resolute on this one – this absolutely should’ve happened to improve Strange World. This movie is really not so different to Encanto in being about generational trauma (or Turning Red for needing to break the cycle), but where I criticised last year’s movie for its delivery of the message, this one gets it right but forgets to be a story first.
And well, there, I’ve conquered my last Disney movie of the year – not quite the dazzler after last year included Raya the Last Dragon, Luca and Encanto. I could join the chorus of people who think Disney have taken a hit to their brand, but Disney’s animated movies have always been philosophical in one way or another, and maybe I’m just growing up out of it, or we’re two friends drifting apart. The opportunity to see an animated Disney movie on the big screen for the first time is still a moment in time, and something I still feel fortunate enough to experience while I can. Sure, with Disney+ I have taken advantage of the convenience at times, but I saw Encanto in cinemas last year, and was so glad I did. The first two acts of Strange World are a drainer, but I got into the climax. I should also praise the movie’s desire to recapture the pulpy adventure tales of yesteryear, which shows up stylistically in the animation at times, at the beginning and the end. This movie is also getting congratulated for its LGBTQ and diverse representation, and while that’s all well and good, the bones of the story must come first before the frills, as I’m sure these people who want to see themselves represented, would prefer not to be so in slosh. If you’re in the moviemaking business, I think that means story first.
2.5
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