In defense of Disney’s Strange World

Amber Hayden, Staff Writer

“Strange World” was only given a “B” grade by CinemaScore which is currently one of the worst recorded marks for a Disney animated film. With Disney’s last animated movie being “Encanto,” “Strange World” naturally had some big shoes to fill and if moviegoers give it a chance, they will surely see the excellence of this new film.

Even with this less than stellar rating, “Strange World” has a lot going for the film. It has stunning visuals with vibrant colors in all scenes which draws the viewer’s attention. The film’s animation goes perfectly with the tone of the story, emitting the right emotions at the right times. If viewers pay attention to the expressions on the characters’ faces, they will come to realize and appreciate the effort put into making the story come to life on the screen with every little detail. Even with characters that do not have speaking roles, you can still tell exactly what emotion they are feeling with the brilliant effects of Disney’s animation skills.

When it comes to the story itself, “Strange World” tells the narrative in an unexpected way which is unfamiliar to a Disney film, but it could not really be told any other way. Even if it could, this would forever be the superior method because it showcases the beginning of the complicated relationships that would later be explored in the film as well as plenty of foreshadowing at the adventure ahead. 

The movie immediately grips its audience with beautiful graphics and the introduction of the amazing main cast. When it skips ahead to the main story, it becomes clear that the trailers for the film did not lie when they said it would be an adventure. The problem they have to solve in the story requires the structure used which beautifully showcases the masterful storytelling showing the incredible plot dynamics between both the character relationships and adventure in the tale itself. The foundation for any good story are characters and “Strange World” establishes multiple lovable characters for fans to root for. 

The film shows a wonderful family that each have their individual problems which build up over time as the story goes on. It shows daily life and spends no extra time getting to the root of the problem they will have to solve thus bringing the highly anticipated action to the story.

The family reaches the plot point in the film where they have to go on a mission and as with any thrilling family adventure, chaos ensues. It is only when they depart on this adventure that the themes circling around family really come into play. The resentment in the family becomes both seen and recognized. They are forced to come to terms with it and work out their complicated family ties.

It is fascinating to see in a Disney film how all three generations of a family work on understanding each other better. They each admit how they are truly feeling and explain what the others have missed the whole time, truly highlighting the importance of these conversations between families.

Even with it being a Disney movie, it still deals with many complicated topics in a fairly lighthearted story. It shows how communication in families is important and what can happen when those needs are not met. It showcases the complicated ties between different generations and does a brilliant job at showing how everyone feels in those situations. 

Alongside the beautiful character journeys comes an incredible plot that really takes the characters for a ride. If not for the story itself, the film would not have been able to explore the themes it did. 

There are many high stakes action sequences which each beautifully showcase the characters saving the others which drives the themes of the film home. Every scene is important to the plot and continues to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats wondering just what is going to happen next, because in this strange world, anything seems possible. 

The main story ends in a satisfying way with the film coming around full circle tying up any loose ends by revisiting the characters one year later. It is fascinating to see how things have changed with all of the characters as well as how they have all changed since the beginning. 

Even though “Strange World” did not become the success it deserved it be, it stands to be an incredible movie for anyone looking for a fun adventure with elements of family, complex characters, and a plot that always leaves you wondering just what is going to happen next.