'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[jeangreyforever]

I was mildly insulted that, while all the women on the adventure are portrayed as flawless, courageous and emotionally mature leader-figures, ALL the males, including the dog, are portrayed as immature goofballs. Every. Single. One. Except Ethan’s crush.

This is par for the course for just about most of the Disney movies from the last decade. Brave in particular seemed to think the only way to make an empowering heroine was to make every man a buffoon. Maleficent was the rare example where to make the villainess...I mean heroine...shine they even had to regress the three actual female characters from the original.

 

[jeangreyforever]

I watched Moana today while packing up my millions of dollars worth of Disney Christmas ornaments and realized two things… Strange World and Moana tell a very similar story, Moana is a kid who’s father wants her to follow in his footsteps and she wants to chart her own course, all while saving the world, Moana just tells it in an infinitely better story… and despite buying a dozen new ornaments every year (and having over 200 at this point) none of them are from a Disney movie made after Moana in 2016, Pixar’s done much better and I have ornaments up to and including Luca on a Vespa from 2021.

Recent Disney characters haven’t connected like characters from a few years ago.

This prompted me to check my own Disney sketchbook ornament collection and I realized something very similar. The newest movies I have ornaments for are Lilo & Stitch and now Treasure Planet since it finally got one this year for its anniversary. The sole exception is Frozen because I have several Elsa ornaments. She's the only character that resonated with me from the last couple of years to induce me to purchase her merchandise. Elsa aside, I have zilch from anything post 2002. Pixar is the other exception. I do have ornaments for some of the later Pixar movies although I missed out on the Luca one sadly

What this confirms for me is that ticking off boxes to appeal to certain demographics does not a memorable character make.

 

[Heppenheimer]

There were Atlantis characters in the parks.

and Black Cauldon characters. No Gurgi though.

There was even a Black Cauldron refreshment stand!

 

[Rich T]

I just watched Strange World again, this time noticing how delightfully Studio Ghibli-like the city sequence looks, and suddenly I realized the key to really enjoying all this movie’s good elements without being put off by the flaws:

Imagine you’re watching a great new Studio Ghibli film that’s been clumsily translated.

It works!

 

[Rich T]

This is par for the course for just about most of the Disney movies from the last decade. Brave in particular seemed to think the only way to make an empowering heroine was to make every man a buffoon. Maleficent was the rare example where to make the villainess...I mean heroine...shine they even had to regress the three actual female characters from the original.

Though every visiting clan was an oaf-fest, I really liked King Fergus in Brave. He was jolly and simply had no interest in playing the stern King figurehead, yet was courageous and selfless. And easily fooled by shadow puppets. “Oops, Mom’s a Bear” is what ruins that film.

The three lead males in Strange World are, as I alluded to before, “goofballs” in that they are very flawed, mistake-prone characters with a lesson they need to learn. That’s fine; that’s the true storyline. It’s in the very blunt contrast to the near-perfect strong women in the film (which is also fine on its own) that things feel off-balance.
(Edit)
But that’s not Strange World’s main problem; it’s the overly-jokey-but-not-funny dialog that hampers 2/3 of the film.

I still like it, though. Its good points are VERY good.

 

[Prince-1]

Some people take movies WAY to seriously lol.

 

[Rich T]

Some people take movies WAY too seriously lol.

But that’s what the internet is for! That and impulse-buying on Amazon.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

It's ok folks. We like what we like. I don't get the hate for Frozen 2. It's not the greatest but it's watchable. I think Encanto Raya and Coco were very good films. Onward was ok and disliked Inside Out and Wreck it Ralph. Haven't seen SW yet.
'

 

[LittleBuford]

There's a fundamental difference between the dwarfs and Kristoff. The dwarfs start off dirty but they don't end that way. Snow White is very firm that they can't have a bite to eat unless they are cleaned, following the old moral precept that cleanliness is close to godliness you know. There's a reason that Walt cut out the soup sequence but not the washing sequence. That whole segment isn't about ensuring that the dwarfs can fill their bellies but that they are bettered by learning to actually wash. Kristoff has no such transformation. His dirtiness is treated like a joke, often at his expense, and he never better himself.

I doubt many people would share your harsh assessment of what I would argue is a very likeable and sympathetically portrayed character. Before reading your posts, it never even crossed my mind that someone could hold such a dim view of Kristoff. He’s caring, industrious, a lovely companion to Sven, and handsome. What’s not to like?

 

[LittleBuford]

So that seems consistent with most of the recent Disney movies where you have goofy or accident-prone fathers or male characters and the female counterparts are always the sensible and responsible ones.

This is nothing new. Witness Mr. and Mrs. Darling and King Stefan and his wife. I would also mention the Sultan in Aladdin and the King in Cinderella, though they’re both widowers.

 

[TP2000]

The three lead males in Strange World are, as I alluded to before, “goofballs” in that they are very flawed, mistake-prone characters with a lesson they need to learn. That’s fine; that’s the true storyline. It’s in the very blunt contrast to the near-perfect strong women in the film (which is also fine on its own) that things feel off-balance.

It's fascinating how today's scriptwriters don't think people will notice that kind of clumsy character development and writing.

There seems to be a belief in media today that audiences are stupid. They are not, because audiences are made up of humans and humans are not stupid.

 

[BuddyThomas]

It's fascinating how today's scriptwriters don't think people will notice that kind of clumsy character development and writing.

There seems to be a belief in media today that audiences are stupid. They are not, because audiences are made up of humans and humans are not stupid.

You don’t know anything about the character development or writing, having not seen it.

 

[celluloid]

It is so wild to think that Disney's animated holiday release feature that was out both Thanksgiving and Christmas break could not come close within millions to Jackass Forever.

 

[TP2000]

It is so wild to think that Disney's animated holiday release feature that was out both Thanksgiving and Christmas break could not come close within millions to Jackass Forever.

I had no idea what Jackass Forever was, so I Googled it and ended up watching a trailer. Now I wish I hadn't!

But your point is not just a funny one, it's a valid one. And it really sums up this financial and artistic hole that Burbank has dug themselves into recently.

Strange World, with a production budget of $180 Million was a Disney family animated film released at Thanksgiving and running through Christmas in over 4,100 theaters.
Compared to Jackass Forever that had a reported production budget of only $10 Million and was released in February in 500 fewer theaters.

 

[Phroobar]

I had no idea what Jackass Forever was, so I Googled it and ended up watching a trailer. Now I wish I hadn't!

But your point is not just a funny one, it's a valid one. And it really sums up this financial and artistic hole that Burbank has dug themselves into recently.

Strange World, with a production budget of $180 Million was a Disney family animated film released at Thanksgiving and running through Christmas in over 4,100 theaters.
Compared to Jackass Forever that had a reported production budget of only $10 Million and was released in February in 500 fewer theaters.

View attachment 688995

There is market fan base for Jackass movies. There were 9 of them and the Mtv show.

 

[celluloid]

There is market fan base for Jackass movies. There were 9 of them and the Mtv show.

Still. Walt Disney Pictures, Animation. Holiday Thanksgiving and Christmas Release Window with no other animated family release and it pulled a Mars Needs Moms or less.

 

[TP2000]

To be fair to Strange World, the most direct comparison is to Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.

Puss In Boots shot past Strange World's 35 days of domestic box office on its 8th day. It's also doing vastly better overseas than Strange World did, and it's trajectory is still straight up through this weekend. Strange World was even less popular overseas than it was in the USA.

Puss In Boots reportedly had a production budget of $90 Million, or half that of Strange World.

Puss in Boots The Last Wish Budget Revealed & It's Reportedly $90 Million - The Filmik

Puss in Boots The Last Wish Budget: 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' is a medium-budgeted film, and the makers spent around $90 million to produce the film before marketing costs. The shocking thing about these numbers

www.thefilmik.com

 

[Prince-1]

There's a fundamental difference between the dwarfs and Kristoff. The dwarfs start off dirty but they don't end that way. Snow White is very firm that they can't have a bite to eat unless they are cleaned, following the old moral precept that cleanliness is close to godliness you know. There's a reason that Walt cut out the soup sequence but not the washing sequence. That whole segment isn't about ensuring that the dwarfs can fill their bellies but that they are bettered by learning to actually wash. Kristoff has no such transformation. His dirtiness is treated like a joke, often at his expense, and he never better himself.

Man, your posts do make me laugh.

 

[erasure fan1]

There is market fan base for Jackass movies. There were 9 of them and the Mtv show.

I'm pretty sure that Disney animation has as big of a market fanbase as anything. Much bigger than jackass.

 

[Rich T]

It is so wild to think that Disney's animated holiday release feature that was out both Thanksgiving and Christmas break could not come close within millions to Jackass Forever.

True, but I sincerely believe Strange World will eventually be recognized for its strengths and just be enjoyed by generations to come as a fun adventure movie. Jackass Forever… no. That’s not a lot of comfort right now to the folks who made Strange World, I know…