Movie Review: Strange World

Movie Review: Strange World                                                                                                  11-23-22

Strange World tells the story of a farmer named Searcher Clade, whose dad was a famous explorer. Searcher, along with his wife Miridian and their son Ethan, grow and sell a powerful plant called Pando, which can be converted into a convenient power source. One day, they’re recruited by Callisto, who tells them that the Pando is in danger. The family goes on an adventure deep underground, inhabited by creatures that look like something from right underneath a microscope. Here, they meet Searcher’s dad Jaeger, who focuses more on exploring far-off places. When Ethan meets his grandad, Searcher’s afraid that he might want to grow up to be more like Jaeger.

Much like this year’s Lightyear, Strange World obviously doesn’t have the most engaging story, but it has amazing world building, a good score from Henry Jackman, and a surprisingly affective sidekick with Splat.

Searcher examining Splat.

There’s also a surprising about of representation that Disney decades earlier would consider taboo, such as an interracial couple, a main character who’s openly gay, a father who basically abandons his son, and a character with a missing appendage who isn’t a villain. In this case, the Clade’s family dog Legend has a missing front leg.

If I were to complain about one thing, I feel that Searcher could’ve been a bit more likable. To put it simply, he spends a good portion of the movie fighting with Jaeger, similar to how Kenai in Brother Bear doesn’t really loosen up until the film’s third act.

"You gave me a Mercedes for my birthday?"

In conclusion, it’s obviously not the best film WDAS has to offer, but if you’re looking for family fun outside your own home, Strange World will be quite a ride. It’s also much better than Disney’s last attempt at an animated sci-fi film, Chicken Little.

Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5