'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[LittleBuford]

I agree we’re being too literal (No Disney animated fantasy’s world holds up to any kind of logical analysis), but the ending itself does get one thinking about it. They chose to end the film with a shot that focuses attention on the world instead of the characters. Viewers are left with that image in their heads, so it’s almost encouraging people to ponder “could that actually work?”

I took the closing visual to be almost entirely symbolic, so my mind didn’t even go there. But I can see why others would be prompted to think about it differently.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I just want to comment about this particular point, because I’ve posted a lot of pessimistic, frustrated grousing over in the Disneyland forum about the state of the theme parks (still do).

I will always love classic Disney (that is Disney pre-Iger-buying-every-IP-he can and trying to persuade the world that Mickey Mouse, Loki and Bart Simpson are ALL Disney, folks!

I don’t like the soulless, media hawking, suck-every-last-dime-we-can-out-of-fans corporation the company has become. And I don’t like how they’re running the parks.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t still be a fan of classic Disney and the less-frequent good things that still emerge from the studio. Awesome things are still created by awesome artists. I’m glad Strange World exists even if it’s not perfect.

Just don’t ask me what I think of whatever “genius” Imagineer thought it was a swell idea to have Minnie kick Pluto on Runaway Railway.

Great post.

The people who believe that if you don't agree with them, you don't like Disney, are the real problems here. As for me, I love classic Disney. As for recent offerings, I loved Zootopia. It too had a message, which it delivered entertainingly and without preaching. And it was about talking animals, which used to be Disney's specialty. Now Disney focuses on human beings and checking boxes, which is why its most recent offerings are either underperforming or are out-and-out flops. Among other reasons. I do have hope for Elementals. Its first trailer wasn't bad. We'll see.

 

[Rich T]

I took the closing visual to be almost entirely symbolic, so my mind didn’t even go there. But I can see why others would be prompted to think about it differently.

I agree it’s symbolic (the film of Horton Hears a Who does a similar pull-back shot), but I couldn’t help immediately doing the math.

On a non-literal level, the shot of the planet gave me “Little Prince” vibes, too; kinda neat!

 

[DKampy]

One doesn’t necessarily have to see the film to share thoughts on certain themes and issues relating to it. For example, some here have said they don’t want their children watching anything that portrays homosexuality, and while I don’t agree with them, they’re entitled to hold such an opinion whether they’ve watched Strange World or not. Likewise, I think it’s fine to offer some thoughts on the film’s underperformance in light of the known circumstances and factors (lack of marketing, the general poor showing of Disney sci-fi animated features, etc). But some of the commentary here has risen (or rather descended) to the level of relentless trolling based on absolutely no knowledge of, or genuine interest in, the film itself. That I don’t understand, especially coming from clearly intelligent and eloquent adults.

I agree with to an extent… but those people still have no idea how those themes work in relation to the movie if they have not watched it
Also these people seem to be obsessed with how well this film is doing without even watching it… if a film is not for me… I simply say this is not my bag and move on. I am more likely to continue talking about a film that I adore

 

[Disney Analyst]

In case anyone doesn’t know the history of turtle island.

Turtle Island

For some Indigenous peoples, Turtle Island refers to the continent of North America. The name comes from various Indigenous oral histories that tell stories of ...

www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

 

[Phroobar]

Great post.

The people who believe that if you don't agree with them, you don't like Disney, are the real problems here. As for me, I love classic Disney. As for recent offerings, I loved Zootopia. It too had a message, which it delivered entertainingly and without preaching. And it was about talking animals, which used to be Disney's specialty. Now Disney focuses on human beings and checking boxes, which is why its most recent offerings are either underperforming or are out-and-out flops. Among other reasons. I do have hope for Elementals. Its first trailer wasn't bad. We'll see.

Of course there are the people here that will counter point argue anything you say. They are like a negative echo chamber.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Great post.

The people who believe that if you don't agree with them, you don't like Disney, are the real problems here. As for me, I love classic Disney. As for recent offerings, I loved Zootopia. It too had a message, which it delivered entertainingly and without preaching. And it was about talking animals, which used to be Disney's specialty. Now Disney focuses on human beings and checking boxes, which is why its most recent offerings are either underperforming or are out-and-out flops. Among other reasons. I do have hope for Elementals. Its first trailer wasn't bad. We'll see.

Elementals trailer does spark interest. Unlike Strange World trailers.

 

[mf1972]

we did see it in theaters back on thanksgiving weekend. didn’t hate it, but remember walking out thinking it was just so so. i have no problems watching it again in disney+ just to see if i have a different opinion on it.

 

[TP2000]

Really, though, in TP2000’s case, I think it’s just in line with the thread in general. Numbers are part of the story.

BUT, regarding other posts about the film, by other people — I’m not talking about TP2000 (I enjoy his posts), but rather more bitter folks out there in and out of these forums—....

Bingo! Thank you for getting it.

For me, as someone who rarely goes to movies in theaters, numbers are a huge part of the story. Especially during this time of mild panic in Hollywood in general, and an even more elevated level of panic at Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank specifically.

I find the financial story on these mega-budget movies to be quite interesting ever since the established business model for them fell apart the past few years due to Covid and now streaming. Where Burbank goes from here will also be fun to watch. And discuss!

 

[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.