'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[Disstevefan1]

You can stream Top Gun: Maverick right now from Amazon Prime for $5.99 or wait until Dec 22 for Paramount+ release. You can buy it on BluRay now, rent it from Redbox or be a pirate.

I know this. I am waiting for Dec 22.
I signed up for Paramount+ for Strange new Worlds and Tulsa King. Yellowstone is possibly the best thing on TV right now, and its also on Paramount+ but I watch Yellowstone on the day it airs on my cable.

 

[marni1971]

Never heard of it.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Never heard of it.

If it wasn't for this site , neither have I.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Does this thread have a higher viewership than the movie? Sorry, I couldn't help it

What's the big deal, Disney put out a stinker. Remember John Carter?

I watched John Carter once it was on streaming, I thought it was a good movie.

I will probably like Strange World, but I am not going to pay to go the theater to see it.

 

[TwilightZone]

If strange world has a second life, it will be a cult classic thing like Treasure Planet, Atlantis, or Meet the Robinsons of the past. I am sure many kiddies with nothing else to watch on D+ would probably grow to really like this movie.

But it probably wont be anything more than that, sadly.

 

[TwilightZone]

You know, I am now just thinking, did this movie fail because people are sick of the new Disney formula? No, the "new Disney formula" is not just the representation side.

How'd I define the new disney forumla

• Set up a main character, often female, who wishes for something or wants something (Anna wants to be reunited with her sister Elsa, Ralph wants to be seen as a hero, Mirabel wants to find her power, Judy wants to work for the police force)
• Have them set off on an adventure despite the feelings of others around them, often in secret
• Along the way they meet the secondary main character(s), often times they are comedic relief (Olaf, Vanelope, Bruno I guess? or the family as a whole, Nick)
• A big dramatic scene happens that changes up the plot. Often tied with a big twist. Often times the twist was the villain's identity (Hans, Turbo/King Candy, the family ideals, that one sheep)
• The hero and their sidekick(s) save the day and society is implied to be changed for the better because of their actions

Add a few moments of trying to be hip with the social media crowd and there you have it.

Anyways, one of the reasons believed why Treasure Planet failed was many were sick of the old Disney formula (which is not too dissimilar to the new one), when Shrek arrived and broke the rules it made bank and became a cultural phenonomon. I guess minions would be the modern Shrek?

 

[Disney Irish]

You know, I am now just thinking, did this movie fail because people are sick of the new Disney formula? No, the "new Disney formula" is not just the representation side.

How'd I define the new disney forumla

• Set up a main character, often female, who wishes for something or wants something (Anna wants to be reunited with her sister Elsa, Ralph wants to be seen as a hero, Mirabel wants to find her power, Judy wants to work for the police force)
• Have them set off on an adventure despite the feelings of others around them, often in secret
• Along the way they meet the secondary main character(s), often times they are comedic relief (Olaf, Vanelope, Bruno I guess? or the family as a whole, Nick)
• A big dramatic scene happens that changes up the plot. Often tied with a big twist. Often times the twist was the villain's identity (Hans, Turbo/King Candy, the family ideals, that one sheep)
• The hero and their sidekick(s) save the day and society is implied to be changed for the better because of their actions

Add a few moments of trying to be hip with the social media crowd and there you have it.

Anyways, one of the reasons believed why Treasure Planet failed was many were sick of the old Disney formula (which is not too dissimilar to the new one), when Shrek arrived and broke the rules it made bank and became a cultural phenonomon. I guess minions would be the modern Shrek?

Are you saying this is a New Coke vs Coca-Cola Classic debate?

 

[TwilightZone]

Are you saying this is a New Coke vs Coca-Cola Classic debate?

It's more like oversaturation makes people weary lol. I think there's merits to both Classic and Modern disney formulas, it just is a lack of variety can cause people to become tired. Like "ok we already seen a story like this from you guys multiple times, when are you gonna give us something new?"

I guess for a food connection, it's like if the only option in town was a Mcdonalds. Sure you may like Mcdonalds, its comforting and familiar, but every once in a while, you would like some fresh groceries too.

Or I guess if Mcdonalds only served hamburgers. You may like their burgers, but what if you want chicken nuggets? This mcdonald's isn't delivering mcnuggets, but hey the Burger King and Carls Jr. across the street just started selling chicken and some other stuff too. Let's check them out instead!

EDIT: Boy coming up with parallels is a lot more interesting than I thought lol

 

[Disney Irish]

It's more like oversaturation makes people weary lol. I think there's merits to both Classic and Modern disney formulas, it just is a lack of variety can cause people to become tired. Like "ok we already seen a story like this from you guys multiple times, when are you gonna give us something new?"

I guess for a food connection, it's like if the only option in town was a Mcdonalds. Sure you may like Mcdonalds, its comforting and familiar, but every once in a while, you would like some fresh groceries too.

Or I guess if Mcdonalds only served hamburgers. You may like their burgers, but what if you want chicken nuggets? This mcdonald's isn't delivering mcnuggets, but hey the Burger King and Carls Jr. across the street just started selling chicken and some other stuff too. Let's check them out instead!

EDIT: Boy coming up with parallels is a lot more interesting than I thought lol

Dunno, in my opinion Disney is trying new types of stories but it seems like they don't resonate with people as much as they used to.

Now is that because of the "formula" or because there is just so much content in the world now that unless there is a "hook", like Bruno in Encanto, that the movies just don't stand out? I would say its more the latter than the former in my opinion.

 

[TwilightZone]

Dunno, in my opinion Disney is trying new types of stories but it seems like they don't resonate with people as much as they used to.

Now is that because of the "formula" or because there is just so much content in the world now that unless there is a "hook", like Bruno in Encanto, that the movies just don't stand out? I would say its more the latter than the former in my opinion.

That's a good point! Encanto had the hook of the songs, especially the catchy Bruno song. Moana had The Rock, whether people would like to admit it or not, plus unique imaginative story. Wreck it Ralph had the video game references. Not really entirely sure about frozen, I guess the amazing visuals?

Strange world has...nothing really that is advertised on TV.

 

[TP2000]

Box office is now out for Monday. Strange World dropped to third place, behind The Menu (which looks really creepy yet interesting!)

Strange World is still in 4,172 theaters, but yesterday averaged about 9 people per theater. Uff Da!

At this rate, Strange World won't break the $20 Million mark until Thursday. Did I already say Uff Da?

 

[Phroobar]

Dunno, in my opinion Disney is trying new types of stories but it seems like they don't resonate with people as much as they used to.

Now is that because of the "formula" or because there is just so much content in the world now that unless there is a "hook", like Bruno in Encanto, that the movies just don't stand out? I would say its more the latter than the former in my opinion.

I think you hit it right on the head. Strange World looked like every low budget Chinese made animated movie out there. There isn't anything that stood out. I said that a lot earlier in this thread but was shouted down by the resident troll.

Treasure Planet got killed by Stitch mania a few months before and that we saw a number of recent retellings of Treasure Island back then. Atlantis was pretty cool but wasn't a princess movie or musical. They all fell the way of Bolt, Meet the Robinsons and Chicken Little.

 

[Prince-1]

I said that a lot earlier in this thread but was shouted down by the resident troll.

Angry Mickey shouldn’t have done that. I’d report him if I were you.

 

[TP2000]

I think you hit it right on the head. Strange World looked like every low budget Chinese made animated movie out there. There isn't anything that stood out. I said that a lot earlier in this thread but was shouted down by the resident troll.

Strange World's character design and aesthetics do look... off. Off brand. Off putting, even. It just doesn't look Disney.

I'd complained earlier that Pixar and Disney Animation now looks the exact same to me, whereas Pixar always looked "modern" while Disney Animation still had a hand-drawn classic look to it even if it was done on computers now.

But that aesthetic difference is now gone entirely. Both brands, Pixar and Disney, look the same to me, so I imagine they look exactly the same to the 99.8% of Americans who don't spend too much time obsessing about Disney stuff online. And now Disney Animation releases vaguely sci-fi stuff that doesn't even have songs or music in them, let alone musical production numbers with singing teapots and dancing townsfolk?

It's yet another reason why I can't figure out what they're now getting from having two separate yet fully funded flagship animation studios 400 miles apart from each other. Why bother anymore? Why not combine the two operations into one single studio in one single location (like beautiful downtown Burbank)?

Merging the two, Pixar Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, would save them a heckuva lot of money, that's for sure. And they need to cut costs dramatically right now.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think you hit it right on the head. Strange World looked like every low budget Chinese made animated movie out there. There isn't anything that stood out. I said that a lot earlier in this thread but was shouted down by the resident troll.

Treasure Planet got killed by Stitch mania a few months before and that we saw a number of recent retellings of Treasure Island back then. Atlantis was pretty cool but wasn't a princess movie or musical. They all fell the way of Bolt, Meet the Robinsons and Chicken Little.

Personally I liked the look of Strange World, but then again I tend to be into Sci-Fi and Pulp type stuff.

The problem with Strange World in my opinion is they couldn't market the "good stuff" because it would have gave away the twist at the end. Had they been able to market it as a "Fantastic Voyage" type of animated movie it probably would have been able to stand out a bit.

 

[Disney Irish]

Strange World's character design and aesthetics do look... off. Off brand. Off putting, even. It just doesn't look Disney.

I'd complained earlier that Pixar and Disney Animation now looks the exact same to me, whereas Pixar always looked "modern" while Disney Animation still had a hand-drawn classic look to it even if it was done on computers now.

But that aesthetic difference is now gone entirely. Both brands, Pixar and Disney, look the same to me, so I imagine they look exactly the same to the 99.8% of Americans who don't spend too much time obsessing about Disney stuff online. And now Disney Animation releases vaguely sci-fi stuff that doesn't even have songs or music in them, let alone musical production numbers with singing teapots and dancing townsfolk?

It's yet another reason why I can't figure out what they're now getting from having two separate yet fully funded flagship animation studios 400 miles apart from each other. Why bother anymore? Why not combine the two operations into one single studio in one single location (like beautiful downtown Burbank)?

Merging the two, Pixar Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, would save them a heckuva lot of money, that's for sure. And they need to cut costs dramatically right now.

While I still don't think its necessary to merge the two studios, you may get your wish as Iger redoes DMED. As I would suspect that they redo some of the Studios to make distribution channels better at the same time.

 

[TP2000]

Sit thru the credits next movie you watch, and count all the jobs involved.

Oh, I know. And that's a valid point. I used to socialize up in LA on occasion, and there were invariably some "industry" folks in attendance. They love to talk about their otherwise mundane jobs in "the industry" or at "the studio", to the sheer boredom of other party guests.

It appears to be a bloated, wasteful industry with entire battalions of hangers-on and endless ranks of white collar management jobs that do nothing for the actual product, and make for even less impressive party chatter.

I sat through minions and that had lots of people who worked on it. But its budget was only 74 million. I don't see how strange world or lightyear warranted 100 and 125mil more respectively.

That's been the norm for a long time now.

Exactly. Minions cost less than half what Lightyear did, and Minions made almost quadruple the box office as Lightyear.

Using the triple-the-box-office-to-break-even formula several knowledgeable posters here have said is now the norm, the financials on Minions vs. Lightyear is frightening for Burbank. Or at least it should be frightening, if they know what's good for them.

Minions Rise of Gru - Production Budget $80 Million, Global Box Office $938 Million, Profit of $702 Million

Lightyear - Production Budget $200 Million, Global Box Office $226 Million, Loss of at least $174 Million?

This is simply not a sustainable way for Burbank to make movies. Especially now that the losses are adding up with each and every film. Just a bad string of luck? Perhaps. But something has to change ASAP.

 

[Screamface]

You know, I am now just thinking, did this movie fail because people are sick of the new Disney formula? No, the "new Disney formula" is not just the representation side.

I can't speak to the "new Disney formula" and I it's not limited to Disney. I just don't think they know how to make male-led animated films in Hollywood anymore.

I was thinking of this today while watching the Super Mario Bros movie trailer. It has similar issues I had with the Strange Worlds and Lightyear trailers. Half the trailer is the male characters screaming, acting like scared children and being the butt of slapstick comedy. While some confident woman rolls their eyes and barks orders.

I simply don't think these kinds of male characters are appealing to the majority of people. Especially when it's the same approach in every animated film now.

 

[TP2000]

The problem with Strange World in my opinion is they couldn't market the "good stuff" because it would have gave away the twist at the end. Had they been able to market it as a "Fantastic Voyage" type of animated movie it probably would have been able to stand out a bit.

Once I heard about the plot, and it's twists and surprise endings, I actually thought the storyline had a great deal of potential for them. Strange World's premise and plot could have been a really interesting and fun way to make bonzo box office money. It also could have skewed naturally to boys and their dads with that plot.

Strange World could have been big with guys and been the Anti-Frozen, if you will. But it didn't.

The early attendance demographics last week actually showed adult males mostly hated Strange World, while young women really liked it.

"Men over 25 were dominant at 33%, but hated it at 66%. Women over 25 were next in attendance at 24% but gave it a 90% grade."

‘Wakanda Forever’ Settles At $64M 5-Day, ‘Strange World’ Crashes $18M+, ‘Knives Out 2’ Wows With $13M+ – Thanksgiving Box Office Sunday Update

Box Office ‘Wakanda Forever’ Crosses $300M, ‘Strange World’ Tanking, 'Knives Out 2' Sharp

deadline.com

There has to have been a way to market this film better and explain its plot more without giving it away. Movie studios have done that with movies for decades. They have entire departments dedicated to marketing and communication. It's not an impossible task for highly paid professionals.

Something went wrong with the marketing, that's for sure!

 

[TP2000]

I can't speak to the "new Disney formula" and I it's not limited to Disney. I just don't think they know how to make male-led animated films in Hollywood anymore.

I was thinking of this today while watching the Super Mario Bros movie trailer. It has similar issues I had with the Strange Worlds and Lightyear trailers. Half the trailer is the male characters screaming, acting like scared children and being the butt of slapstick comedy. While some confident woman rolls their eyes and barks orders.

I simply don't think these kinds of male characters are appealing to the majority of people. Especially when it's the same approach in every animated film now.

With some time and reflection, I'm now of the opinion that Strange World could have been, and should have been, a male dominated movie that appealed to boys and their dads. Even the 14 year old brother and granddad could have gone along to the multiplex for Strange World. (And that's exactly the multi-generation demographic that needs to get out of the house together on a long Thanksgiving weekend!)

Strange World's twisty plot and unique action-adventure storyline has Epic Guy Adventure written all over it!

But obviously the writers and producers went a completely different way with it. And America spoke with its wallets.

Strange World should have been the Anti-Frozen guy movie for families with boys that Walt Disney Animation hasn't made in far too long. But it failed miserably at that, and seems to have satisfied no one except HR.