Strange World is a wildly innovative film that, sadly, is less than it should be.  Much less.  Clearly the folks at Disney didn’t know how market it because even the first previews for it seemed off, as if they didn’t know what to emphasize, or what kind of movie they were trying to sell.  I love science fiction more than all other genres, yet I cringe when it isn’t done well, and I cringed several times during this movie.

Co-directed by Don Hall and Qui Nguyen, it tells the tale of the family Clade, central to the existence and prosperity of the country of Avalonia, and then they are called upon to save it when things go bad.  I’ve oversimplified the story tremendously in order not to spoil its actual story, which is obscure for most of the running time.  Then, some things start to make sense, although, to be utterly honest, quite a bit about this country doesn’t make sense at all, even after everything is revealed.  The visuals are certainly original and innovative and cool to see, but when what one is seeing doesn’t make sense that does not translate into an enjoyable experience.

This Disney animated film has a lot on its plate, from its blended family and same-sex teen romance to its oddly disabled dog and all-too-familiar generational conflicts.  Some of these elements seem forced rather than natural.  The movie begins particularly badly, opting to start with an obnoxious song about its main characters, explorer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid) and his son Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal), as they navigate their extremely mountainous world.  Then, instead of going space exploring (as the title suggests) this group of intrepid explorers travel into their world to find the mysterious title area.  And when the Big Reveal is finally revealed, even though things begin to make sense, it triggers all sorts of skepticism rather than wonder.  Frankly, I find it surprising that Disney executives actually felt that this was a movie worth producing.

Disney has tried science fiction animation before, usually with little success.  Remember Treasure Planet?  Or Meet the Robinsons?  I thought not.  I actually like Treasure Planet; it’s better than this.  And now that Disney owns the Star Wars universe, fans worry about that being spoiled, or that it will be mined so often that its veins of mythology and adventure will run dry.  This, at least, was a try at something different.  Sadly, it isn’t nearly enough.  ☆ ☆.  30 November 2022.