'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[jeangreyforever]

True. But haven't we all been there once or twice in our lives?

Now that I think about it like this, I'm starting to warm up to Anna.

But honestly, put these two ladies at the end of the bar at a TGIFridays about 30 minutes before Last Call, and who gets chatted up first? It's basic science. Or something.

That image reminds me that Elsa gets the funky makeup as well. Anna gets...freckles, which don't tend to be part of every little girl's dreams. Certainly not Anne of Green Gables.

It is kinda sad that the only thing Anna gets in the two movies is a man. And even that's a point against her now since Elsa comes across as the empowered and independent heroine that's so in vogue nowadays whereas man-crazy Anna falls in love with 2 men in the span of 24 hours and gets rejected by the first and then is convinced by an infant snowman who's only been alive for about the same span of time that she's really in love with the only other age-appropriate man she's interacted with.

Even if you're a child who wants to play as a princess who gets her Prince Charming rather than be single, you've got dozens of other options besides Anna. And all the other princesses come with actual princes who have better personalities and hygiene or if they don't have personalities, they at least have good lucks and come with their own castles. The only thing Kristoff brings to the table is a bag of manure and a reindeer who probably smells better than he does.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Counterpoint though - you have Mirabel and Isabela. I think kids by default just cheer for the main protagonist and maybe the wacky sidekick.

An aside, Olaf reminds me of the time when Disney was better at competing with Universal in movies that appeal to kids. He has as much market share as any minion, I would think. That brand of goofy humor has been missing in more recent offerings.

 

[Heppenheimer]

There is no proof a 100 million profit right now.
Every movie makes a profit eventually. You just need to wait long enough.

The bond holders that financed the films, though, need to paid when those bonds mature, not when the film eventually makes money.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I doubt it. I think it was just probably a crappy kids movie about super pets. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

As a parent of children who love Disney Jr's Puppy Dog Pals, I can assure you that this movie got it completely wrong. Nobody wanted to see the pets of established superheroes.

What we needed instead was Captain Dog: The Movie, voiced by Patrick Warburton.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I think the problem is that Anna completed her character arc and got what she wanted in the first Frozen (to find love and be reconnected with her sister). There isn't much more to do with her character that isn't a retread of what we've already seen. Elsa— defined only in broad strokes in the first movie — still had a lot of room for exploration and growth in the sequels.

They didn't know what to do with Kristoff and Olaf in Frozen II either. I think if they do Frozen III, they should make it fully Elsa-centric and have the other characters just be cameos/small roles. Or they could kill them off!

Even though the movie itself didn't have much a lasting impression, I think they significantly improved Elsa as a character. In the first film, she's simply an awful queen and beyond having a good song, she really does nothing to earn the audience's sympathy.

In Frozen II, we actually see Elsa governing responsibly and making decisions that don't involve isolating herself in a magic ice castle. And crucially, when she decides to relinquish power, she clearly and unambiguously passes the line of succession to her sister. If you follow the history of monarchies, you can understand how important having a clearly defined, healthy heir is to the political stability of a realm.

If anything, Anna is the bad royal in Frozen II. If I remember correctly, doesn't she more or less decide that the entire kingdom needs to be destroyed? Genocide, anyone?

And Olaf? He must die!!!

 

[Phroobar]

The bond holders that financed the films, though, need to paid when those bonds mature, not when the film eventually makes money.

So Strange World's bonds are totally worthless.

 

[Heppenheimer]

So Strange World's bonds are totally worthless.

Probably not, because the bonds (and any other form of debt that financed the film) were issued by Disney. Disney typically has a pretty good credit rating.

Strange World's debt will get paid, just not with profits from the film itself.

 

[Heppenheimer]

True. But haven't we all been there once or twice in our lives?

Now that I think about it like this, I'm starting to warm up to Anna.

But honestly, put these two ladies at the end of the bar at a TGIFridays about 30 minutes before Last Call, and who gets chatted up first? It's basic science. Or something. And the toy aisles at Target never lie.

Well, if I was at this magical TGIFs you speak of (and still single), I think I would go for Anna. Elsa looks like the type that doesn't have the time for us plebes. Probably really high maintenance too. And as we know from the movie, when she's having her "issues", nothing else in the world matters, she needs to go off to her Ice Castle/She-Shed to work things out. Too much make-up, too.

Anna, on the other hand, is much warmer, with "bring her home to meet mom and dad" looks and personality. She might fall in love a little too easily, but that's better than the icy rejection that would likely come from Elsa. Plus, I have a thing for redheads.

 

[jeangreyforever]

If anything, Anna is the bad royal in Frozen II. If I remember correctly, doesn't she more or less decide that the entire kingdom needs to be destroyed? Genocide, anyone?

In the original test screening for audiences, she actually succeeded in destroying Arendelle. I think they nixed that because they knew there wouldn't be any synergy with the fact that they were building Arendelle in several of the parks.

 

[Ghost93]

In the original test screening for audiences, she actually succeeded in destroying Arendelle. I think they nixed that because they knew there wouldn't be any synergy with the fact that they were building Arendelle in several of the parks.

I'll give Strange World kudos for actually following through in requiring the heroes to make sacrifices in order to "make things right." Frozen II kinda undercut its own message by having the heroes do the right thing but ultimately not have to make any sacrifices.

 

[Heppenheimer]

In the original test screening for audiences, she actually succeeded in destroying Arendelle. I think they nixed that because they knew there wouldn't be any synergy with the fact that they were building Arendelle in several of the parks.

They could have combined a trip through Arendelle with the tsunami effect from the walking portion of the old backlot tour at Hollywood Studios, when it was known as Disney-MGM Studios. Or Catastrophe Canyon. "And now, folks, Princess Anna has decided that we all must die by drowning."

 

[RobWDW1971]

True. But haven't we all been there once or twice in our lives?

Now that I think about it like this, I'm starting to warm up to Anna.

But honestly, put these two ladies at the end of the bar at a TGIFridays about 30 minutes before Last Call, and who gets chatted up first? It's basic science. Or something. And the toy aisles at Target never lie.

There is a scientific name for this phenomenon: "The Ginger or Mary Ann Paradox"

 

[TP2000]

There is a scientific name for this phenomenon: "The Ginger or Mary Ann Paradox"

I've heard of that theory. But I don't subscribe to it, as I've always been a Mrs. Howell kind of a guy myself.

 

[RobWDW1971]

I've heard of that theory. But I don't subscribe to it, as I've always been a Mrs. Howell kind of a guy myself.

Ha! Thank you for that mental image. That will now haunt my dreams.

 

[TP2000]

Strange World is heading into it's third weekend at about $26 Million, yet has basically flatlined already.

It will be a tight squeeze to get it over the $30 Million mark before Avatar arrives next weekend. As a reminder, in the weeks before Thanksgiving industry media had $30 Million as the low end of the already downgraded opening weekend estimate for Strange World.

It's actually going to take 3 weeks or more in theaters to get it past $30 Million domestically. I'll update again after the weekend, especially once the global box office numbers dump next Tuesday. Happy weekend gang!

 

[TP2000]

Looking at that chart again, it's still in 4,174 theaters. Wow. Yesterday it average 64 bucks per theater.

That theater count will be another stat to watch change in the next week.

 

[RobWDW1971]

With Strange World's weekend coming into view, here is some perspective on historic Disney Animation box office bombs at 19 days in release (all in today's dollars). Note Strange World opened on over 1,000 more screens than any other film on the list:

- Strange World: $30.5 estimate
- Black Cauldron: $44M
- Treasure Planet: $45M
- Home on the Range: $60M
- Chicken Little: $155M

#resoundingsuccess

 

[TP2000]

The numbers are in for this weekend, the last before Avatar's release later this week.

Strange World finally made it over the $30 Million mark domestically, almost three weeks after it opened.

Also, theater counts are declining for Strange World; now at 3,560, so at least the Per Theater metric improved.

 

[LittleBuford]

especially as those same execs try and pretend that wasn't the reason for anything

We have zero evidence that it was the reason for anything. Neither film foregrounded gay themes, despite your continual mischaracterisation.

 

[mickEblu]

Agreed!

Burbank executives have really painted themselves into a corner here with their family films marketed to children. They're now damned if they do, and damned if they don't. I certainly don't envy them, especially as those same execs try and pretend that wasn't the reason for anything but fabulous financial success and moral superiority.

And they have no one to blame but themselves for doing this to their family audience animation from their expensive flagship studios. A fascinating tale, quite frankly!

Exactly. Their two choices are to keep going (and keep losing money) or to stop completely. Either one will offend people but the latter would offend fewer. The problem is the vocal minority of the few are very loud. So as you said they are kind of damned if they do and damned if they don’t. I wonder though if their isn’t a third option. Which is to do one Super LGBTQ movie every few years and then just leave it completely out of all the movies in between. That would probably be a fair compromise to appease someone like me. I’m not sure how Middle America would feel about it though. It also comes across as kind of telegraphed and inorganic but so does the box checking they are doing now.