'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[TP2000]

There is, tho, a slim chance, a very slim chance, that it got such a low score because opening crowds really didn't understand it, but, it resonates with wider audience later. That happened to "The Nightmare Before Christmas" which initially got a B+, but then, eventually, high scores from critics and the audience.

I guess anything is possible? And I'm no expert at this since I rarely go see movies in theaters, and certainly not Disney movies. But the industry watchers are far less optimistic after the last two days.

From Variety in an afternoon update today...

"Disney’s “Strange World,” an animated adventure about a family of legendary explorers, is settling for box office scraps.

After a rocky $4.2 million opening day on Wednesday, the film collected $2.4 million from 4,174 North American theaters on Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday. With its two-day total at $6.7 million, weekend estimates for “Strange World” have been revised slightly. Now, the movie is expected to end the five-day frame with roughly $26 million, which is still a dismal result given its $180 million production budget. Heading into the Turkey Day weekend, the kid-friendly fable was estimated to earn $30 million to $40 million in its debut."

So, originally hoped to get a very modest $30 to $40 million in box office this holiday weekend, now aiming for $26 Million for the first five days and that's not guaranteed. $26 Million may look optimistic judging by trends so far.

Again I say, it's got to be tough to be in Burbank this holiday season! After last weekend's corporate coup and suddenly airbrushing a CEO out of existence, I can only imagine how many Christmas vacations were just cancelled for Burbank bosses. The financial failure of Strange World is rubbing salt in that wound.

But thank God for Marvel!

Box Office: ‘Strange World’ Struggling With $2.4 Million as ‘Wakanda Forever’ Triumphs With $8 Million on Thanksgiving

Disney's "Strange World" is stumbling in its box office debut.

variety.com

 

[SuddenStorm]

As of 4:30pm Mountain Standard Time, Americans awaking from their tryptophan hangover and looking to see a movie this weekend will now find this cherry picked data on Rotten Tomatoes website, based on the last two days of Strange World feedback...

Not really a ringing endorsement, is it? But I guess it could be worse.

View attachment 681036

Strange World | Rotten Tomatoes

Discover reviews, ratings, and trailers for Strange World on Rotten Tomatoes. Stay updated with critic and audience scores today!

www.rottentomatoes.com

My goodness how Walt Disney Animation has fallen. At least when Lasseter was around things were sort of consistent.

 

[TalkingHead]

Checked tomorrow’s local shows on the AMC app. Nine showtimes, 12 tickets reserved total. Woof.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Spoiler

Spoiler

The big twist in the movie is that they’re in something’s body.

Seriously?!

Well, that explains it. Guess they got what they were going for. lol

 

[RobWDW1971]

"Strange World has officially ended Disney Animation's CinemaScore ratings streak by scoring lower than any film in 31 years.

The market research firm CinemaScore, which polls theater audiences after seeing the movie, has revealed that Strange World received a B, making it the first ever Walt Disney Animation Studios film to score below an A- according to CinemaScore's metrics. CinemaScore began polling viewers of Disney Animation films in 1991, starting with Beauty and the Beast, which scored an A."

 

[mf1972]

i had a feeling this movie wasn’t going to initially perform well, but looks worse than i thought. i was kind of left wondering how did this get the green light & move forward.

 

[mickEblu]

"Strange World has officially ended Disney Animation's CinemaScore ratings streak by scoring lower than any film in 31 years.

The market research firm CinemaScore, which polls theater audiences after seeing the movie, has revealed that Strange World received a B, making it the first ever Walt Disney Animation Studios film to score below an A- according to CinemaScore's metrics. CinemaScore began polling viewers of Disney Animation films in 1991, starting with Beauty and the Beast, which scored an A."

Wait a minute. The only thing separating Home on the Range from Beauty & the Beast is a minus sign? What kind of cockamamie rating system is this?

 

[BuddyThomas]

I feel bad for people who have nothing better to do on Thanksgiving weekend except gloat and do happy dances because a movie they don’t like and have no intention of ever seeing got low box office results.

 

[RobWDW1971]

Disney really needs to find that manager of that one packed theater, apparently his local store marketing strategy is crushing it!

"Despite the continued riches of Wakanda flowing into Disney coffers, they will be poorer with their new animated film Strange World which is now looking at $19M-$21M over five days after a $5.2M Friday. Disney has been in this hole before with original animation with such duds as Home on the Range and Treasure Planet. The studio fully embraced a character being openly gay in the movie, however, that was hid from the film’s marketing. Those critics such as The Guardian‘s Cath Clarke are in line with the audience’s temperature of a B CinemaScore and 82% on PostTrak. “The clunky script feels like it’s been re-drafted and re-drafted to the point of incomprehension – blowing any chance of conveying a message. However well-meaning, it makes for a surprisingly dull watch,” writes Clarke."

 

[Heppenheimer]

Spoiler

Spoiler

The big twist in the movie is that they’re in something’s body.

So, Fantastic Voyage with a bit of a Soylent Green or Osmosis Jones twist?

 

[MrPromey]

So saw Strange World today. It was cute, nothing too earth shattering. The 'twist' was pretty obvious but man, did the film look incredible (especially in 3D - they really did a nice job of that). It's a solid film, but nothing outstanding. Then again, I thought the same of "Frozen II" so what do I know? (BTW the theater was 3/4 full)

Went with my son to see it last night and felt largely the same way (Except for your feelings on Frozen II ). I think story-wise, it was stronger than Encanto but of course, it had no catchy songs.

Several of the "didn't see that coming" moments were pretty well broadcast in advance of their reveals - enough that my ten year old was predicting a lot of them but it was still a fun movie.

That said, there were a total of five of us in the theater for most of it - my son and I and a couple with their child.

After about an hour, a group of adults shuffled in - maybe five or six total - who stayed through the end but I have no idea what that was about since they missed the first 2/3 of the movie.

The movie was visually gorgeous which is something I've come to expect from both Disney and Pixar - for each new release to look better by leaps and bounds from what came before it.

In terms of story I can't say as an adult, that it was remarkable or that it was even anything outstanding for a Disney movie but compared to a lot of what goes in to theaters for kids in general, it felt like in quality, it would at least make the top half.

Which is why it's a true shame, Disney's doing what they're doing with it.

I think I know what they're up to, here and it's a shame.

Really don't think this movie deserves the bomb status it was apparently predestined to get before even being released.

... but this is the world we live in, for today, at least.

 

[mickEblu]

I typed this up earlier but didn’t post it as I really don’t get any pleasure out of raining on anyones parade. But is this what you re referring to?

You almost have to wonder if this is Disney hedging their bet with Lightyear and Strange World. We’ll make a couple inclusive movies but we re not going to necessarily market them appropriately and make sure they’re quality movies. If they take off great. If they don’t that’s fine too we can shake them off in 2023 with Wish for our 100th anniversary. Without having read anything about the movie I think it’s telling that they re choosing a fairy tale. I can almost guarantee you won’t find two women kissing or a Gay crush in Wish as they will be trying to cater to a wider demo and get some of middle America back on their side.

I realize I may be giving them too much credit and that it sounds ridiculous as they lost millions of dollars on these movies. I find myself doing that these days to make sense of their boneheaded decisions. Always wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt that there’s something we’re missing. I think I’m starting to see that they just don’t have any real vision and are wingin it on the daily.

Not matter how you look at its sad as entertainment isn’t being made with the primary purpose to entertain.

I think I know what they’re up to, here and it’s a shame

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I think I know what they're up to, here and it's a shame.

Really don't think this movie deserves the bomb status it was apparently predestined to get before even being released.

... but this is the world we live in, for today, at least.

I get the impression you're right here, but the one thing that gives me pause when considering the reasons this film has ended up as such a bomb is that those who are going to see it don't seem to be rating it very highly, at least according to CinemaScore.

If it was poorly marketed but those who went to see the film loved it, that would be something. It doesn't really seem to be the case, though.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Seriously?!

Well, that explains it. Guess they got what they were going for. lol

That wasn't really the big twist. But I'm not spoiling it (caught me off guard)

 

[MrPromey]

I typed this up earlier but didn’t post it as I really don’t get any pleasure out of raining on anyones parade. But is this what you re referring to?

You almost have to wonder if this is Disney hedging their bet with Lightyear and Strange World. We’ll make a couple inclusive movies but we re not going to necessarily market them appropriately and make sure they’re quality movies. If they take off great. If they don’t that’s fine too we can shake them off in 2023 with Wish for our 100th anniversary. Without having read anything about the movie I think it’s telling that they re choosing a fairy tale. I can almost guarantee you won’t find two women kissing or a Gay crush in Wish as they will be trying to cater to a wider demo and get some of middle America back on their side.

I realize I may be giving them too much credit and that it sounds ridiculous as they lost millions of dollars on these movies. I find myself doing that these days to make sense of their boneheaded decisions. Always wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt that there’s something we’re missing. I think I’m starting to see that they just don’t have any real vision and are wingin it on the daily.

I

I think they had high hopes for Lightyear. They may blame the two moms on why it didn't do well but I think it has to do with it being a crappy movie, with a thin in-world premises for existing that they barely even tried to present either in marketing or in the movie, itself.

As for the rest of it, I feel like you might be more right than wrong.

 

[mickEblu]

I think they had high hopes for Lightyear. They may blame the two moms on why it didn't do well but I think it has to do with it being a crappy movie, with a thin in-world premises for existing that they barely even tried to present either in marketing or in the movie, itself.

As for the rest of it, I feel like you might be more right than wrong.

Yeah they get to look like they tried in front of their employees etc. If the employee wants to stay employed they realize that Big Daddy needs to be profitable

 

[MrPromey]

I get the impression you're right here, but the one thing that gives me pause when considering the reasons this film has ended up as such a bomb is that those who are going to see it don't seem to be rating it very highly, at least according to CinemaScore.

If it was poorly marketed but those who went to see the film loved it, that would be something. It doesn't really seem to be the case, though.

Personally, I thought the story made more sense than Wakanda Forever.

Not to hate on Black Panter 2 - that movie had an impossible task - but it felt more like a necessary setup to cover some bases and set the franchise for a future rather than an entertaining film presented in an in-world believable way for a teen and adult audience.

Also, in sheer running time, BP is not that appropriate for theater viewing with kids.

The movie {sw} wasn't perfect but I don't think it was bad, either.

By no means a Frozen but I think considerably better than Frozen 2.

I mean, my opinion is just my opinion but for a kids animated movie, I don't get the negative reviews - especially compared to the competition for kid's animated theatrical releases this year and we have seen all of them so I'm not just saying that in a hand-waving manner.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Personally, I thought the story made more sense than Wakanda Forever.

Not to hate on Black Panter 2 - that movie had an impossible task - but it felt more like a necessary setup to cover some bases and set the franchise for a future rather than an entertaining film presented in an in-world believable way for a teen and adult audience.

The movie wasn't perfect but I don't think it was bad, either.

By no means a Frozen but I think considerably better than Frozen 2.

I mean, my opinion is just my opinion but for a kids animated movie, I don't get the negative reviews - especially compared to the competition for kid's animated theatrical releases this year and we have seen all of them so I'm not just saying that in a hand-waving manner.

I haven't seen the film, but honestly also surprised and puzzled by the CinemaScore apparently being the lowest for any Disney animated film... ever. The critics' reviews don't suggest that should be the case, nor does anything anyone has said on here. Are people really showing up and getting annoyed about the inclusion of same sex attraction in the film (as the RottenTomatoes comments/reviews suggest), or is there some reason this film really isn't connecting with people?

 

[mickEblu]

I’m a little surprised at how many in this chat seem to think that those scenes won’t have any bearing on reviews or numbers. The movie doesn’t sound like it’s any worse than some of their recent bad movies.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I’m a little surprised at how many in this chat seem to think that those scenes won’t have any bearing on reviews or numbers. The movie doesn’t sound like it’s any worse than some of their recent bad movies.

To me it's more an open question. I don't think the same-sex kiss in Lightyear particularly affected how people who went to see it enjoyed the film. Is it that this time around people didn't know?