22 Nov REVIEW – ‘Strange World’ is a charming little wonder with a big beating heart
In the middle of the hysteria around Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the hype over 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: The Way of Water sits the seemingly forgotten child of Walt Disney Pictures. You’ve probably heard very little about Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World, which is rather ironic, given animation is literally the very medium that established Disney almost 100 years ago. And it’s a damn shame too because it’s a charming little wonder with a big beating heart and the studio’s first genuine queer representation in one of their animated projects. This deserves celebration, not crickets.
While its plot may be a tad generic and there are some noticeable pacing issues, Strange World is a beautifully animated delight with an intergenerational father-son narrative that may just hit you right in the feels. Elevated by stunning world and character design and a hefty helping of progressive topics major animation studios generally shy away from, it’s an unassuming game-changer that pays tribute to the Disney legacy while pushing it into uncharted territory.
The film centres on the Clade family, led by intrepid explorer Jaeger (Dennis Quaid), who’s made it his life’s mission to find a path beyond the treacherous mountain peaks that completely fringe the border of the secluded land of Avalonia. Unlike his father, Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal) has little interest in exploration and is far more invested in science and farming. After the pair butt heads on Jaeger’s latest quest through the cliffs, the elder Clade ventures off on his own, never to be seen again.
Flash forward 25 years later and Searcher is now somewhat of a hero in Avalonia after discovering a mysterious orb plant known as pando holds electrical properties and has been utilised to power the entire town. Living blissfully on his pando farm with his pilot wife, Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and their teenage son, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White), Searcher’s life is upended by a visit from Callisto (Lucy Liu), his father’s old exploring pal and current president of Avalonia.
It seems an unknown virus is infecting all pando crops in the land, reaching all the way down to the “heart of pando,” the original source of the plant at the centre of the world. Determined to uncover what’s causing the catastrophic disease, Callisto invites Searcher to join her expedition and lend his scientific expertise. While initially apprehensive, Searcher reluctantly agrees but forbids exploring-obsessed Ethan from tagging along.
Unsurprisingly, the mission doesn’t go as planned, with the entire crew transported to a bizarre subterranean labyrinth inhabited by exotic flora and fauna wherever they look. Things only become more complicated when Searcher discovers Ethan and the family’s trusty three-legged dog Legend have stowed away on board and the unexpected re-emergence of Jaeger, who’s evidently been trapped in this foreign world for more than two decades.
As you’ve likely surmised, this plot is far from the most original. A group of mismatched characters venturing off into a fantastical world of weird creatures, exotic locations, and dangerous situations is something the animation genre has done to death. Disney has travelled down this road before with films like Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire, so there’s nothing about this setup that you haven’t seen before. Screenwriter and co-director Qui Nguyen leans heavily into the familiar tropes of the adventure genre and pays homage to classic films like Journey to the Centre of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s a fairly predictable experience, but one still completely enjoyable.
But where Strange World differentiates itself from the shallow Disney animated films of the past is its keen focus on character and its commitment to exploring deeper themes. The entire Clade clan feel like fully-fleshed-out characters with complex personalities that often juxtapose with those around them. The father-son narrative is rooted in the universally empathetic notion of wanting to make your parents proud. And vice versa of yearning for your child to be proud of your efforts as a parent and find a common understanding of the choices, decisions, and mistakes you’ve made.
That’s a challenge that becomes complicated when father and son are so wildly different and the child isn’t interested in following in their parent’s footsteps, as seen with Searcher’s desire to settle down on the farm instead of heading off on a daring new adventure like Jaeger. If this describes your relationship with your parents, this film will strike you right in the heart. When Searcher begins to realise his son seemingly connects stronger with his grandfather’s adventurous outlook on life, he fears their relationship is headed for a similar fractured territory. It’s in these intimate and relatable moments that Ngyuen’s writing really shines.
After Pixar dabbled with brief LGBTQ representation in Lightyear and the potentially gay subtext of Luca, Disney beats them to the punch with an openly gay character at the forefront of one of their animated film. And it’s not entirely subtle about it either. When we first meet Ethan, he’s evidently already come out to his accepting parents and has no problem candidly discussing his burgeoning crush on local boy Diazo. Later, he shares this information with his grandfather who doesn’t bat an eyelid when Ethan uses male pronouns to discuss who his heart desires. In the hands of lesser filmmakers, Jaeger may recoil at this revelation and take a nauseating path to tolerance over the course of the film. He doesn’t and the film is better for it.
This is wonderfully organic queer representation that doesn’t feel forced or “woke.” On the other hand, it’s not overtly sexualised or confronting to the point it may be too much for younger viewers. It’s all handled so beautifully and sensitively to the point you assume queer members of the production team were consulted for their input to get this so damn right. It’s simply marvellous to see a queer character and a gay romance conveyed in such a natural and accepted manner that truly breaks new ground for Disney animation. As a gay film critic, I have to applaud this and hope it’s received in a similar manner by audiences.
As we’ve come to expect from all modern animated fare, Strange World is a visually dazzling epic that genuinely bursts off the screen. The worlds and creatures resemble something like a glorious cross between the lands of Avatar‘s Pandora and the underwater marvels of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This eccentric luminescent wonderland is filled with creatures and environments that take inspiration from the sea with curious twists that create something staggeringly unique. No spoilers here, but there’s eventually an explanation as to how and why everything co-exists in this weird world that suddenly makes everything you’ve witnessed make so much more sense. It pushes the narrative into an environmental conservation message that maybe feels a little preachy, but, hey, it’s certainly a pertinent theme these days.
As familiar as Strange World may appear at first glance, there’s so much more going on beneath its surface. It’s an entertaining adventure the world of cinema has seen many times before, yet with characters and themes that thankfully push the boundaries of what we’re used to with this kind of narrative. It’s bold in its design, but even bolder in its approach to issues of familial conflict, generational bonds, and the emotional evolution of one’s character. It may not be receiving the kind of attention it deserves, but one hopes that strong word of mouth encourages viewers to seek out this surprisingly deep animated gem.
Distributor: Disney
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu
Director: Don Hall
Co-Director: Qui Nguyen
Producer: Ron Conli
Screenplay: Qui Nguyen
Production Design: Justin Cram, Mehrdad Isvandi
Music: Henry Jackman
Editor: Sarah K. Reimers
Running Time: 102 minutes
Release Date: 24th November 2022 (Australia)