I finished off my year by watching Strange World on Disney+. There was a lot of negative press surrounding this movie when it was in theaters. The general consensus was this movie was bad, and no one should watch it. Well, I watch everything, and I needed to see how badly Disney dropped the ball with this movie. My consensus is that it is not as bad as people made it out to be.
Strange World is a movie about a society made utopia by a mysterious bean. The power cultivated from this bean gives this society the ability to power their homes and vehicles. The people in this society lived in this perfect utopia of unlimited energy until sickness began destroying their crops. With the foundation of their society quickly crumbling, a new team of explorers must venture into the unknown and find a cure. Will they be able to conquer the unknown and bring back a solution, or is a society doomed to fall back into the dark ages?
Strange World is fine for what it is, a generic adventure movie made for kids. The voice acting is great and the art is beautiful. I loved the colors and creatures that make up the new world. It may be a concept that has been done before, but at least it is nice to look at. This is a decent movie to watch with your kids. As an added bonus, you might even be able to convince them to watch the films this one draws inspiration from.
In recent years, Disney has made an effort to diversify its casting. Sure there are times when the attempt is a shameless money grab, but I can’t deny that I appreciate how colorful the stories have been recently. Strange World has a diverse cast with a gay lead, and although it isn’t a great story, it is nice to see the representation in the stories we show our kids. As someone who grew up watching Disney where no one looked like me, it makes me happy that Ethan looks like someone out there now.
This movie may not have been worth watching in theaters, but it is fine to stream at home. This movie wasn’t made for me, so I won’t be as harsh as I usually am. If you are looking for a decent movie to throw on during family night, Strange World is a solid option. Check it out on Disney+.
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Thank you for being concise in your first paragraph. I might read the rest but I really don’t think I have to.
Thank you for the feedback. I try to keep it short because I understand people have things to do. I hate when I look up something and it is paragraphs and paragraphs of fluff just to get to the point at the very end. This way I waste no ones time and if people need to know why, they can keep reading. It may be bad for ad revenue, but who cares. Thanks for reading!
I actually just watched it last night! Clever story. There were some cute character moments and subtle laughs along the way.
I can definitely see how the mainstream, heteronormative audience, wouldn’t have been able to relate as well as other Disney movies. I, myself, feel that Disney may have taken too many liberties in the name of diversity. It was overt and balancing dangerously between two extremes. One end being highly representative and the other end ridiculously oversimplifying labels with stereotypes to pander to an audience they Disney simply isn’t qualified to represent in one single film.
Thanks for the post! Got me thinking more deeply about the movie.
It had some very cute moments and characters. My favorite moment was when the Grandfather asks Ethan if he has a sweat hart and just goes into a conversation about how to win the guy over. Even if it was bad advice, I liked that it was just a fluid conversation about relationships.
Thank you for reading!
Yes, that was certainly unexpected how much it did not phase him. Didn’t miss a beat. I’m not familiar with that kind of reaction as often as I’d like to be.
That threw me off much more than it should have because like you say, it isn’t a reaction I am used to. I like that they are trying to normalize it and hope it becomes more mainstream in the future.
Edit “that Disney”
Thanks for sharing.