Disney’s “Strange World,” which was released in theaters on Nov. 23, transports viewers to another realm, but underdeveloped characters and a muddled ending keep it from ascending to the top of Disney’s catalog.
There’s no doubt about it: “Strange World” is gorgeous. It’s truly astounding what you can do with animation these days.
And I’m not just talking about the creatures, either, of which there seems to be a never-ending supply. Similarly to Pixar’s “Lightyear” from earlier this year, the humans have never looked more realistic.
The main plot of the film follows Searcher Clade (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal), part of the legendary Clade family of explorers, as he attempts to forge a legacy different from that of his father, Jaeger Clade (voiced by Dennis Quaid).
Searcher resents Jaeger for choosing exploration over his family, so he sets out to be a better father for his son, Ethan. But when his precious alternative fuel source is under threat, Searcher must journey into the unknown to save it.
Science fiction movies often thrive on the banter between characters, and “Strange World” is no exception. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Quaid, collaborating for the first time since they similarly played father and son in 2004’s “The Day After Tomorrow,” anchors the film.
Some of the film’s humor also comes from Ethan, who, similarly to Searcher, is a lot more like his dad than he would like to admit. But what separates Ethan from both Searcher and Jaeger is his ability to bond with anyone he meets, specifically requisite adorable “animal” sidekick Splat.
It is this ability that makes it all the more relatable when Ethan struggles to confess his feelings for his crush, Diazo. Ethan’s sexuality is refreshingly not a source of tension between him and Searcher. In fact, it leads to the most hilarious scene of the film.
Ethan, Searcher and Jaeger are all wonderfully multidimensional characters, with likes, desires, and witty one-liners, which makes it all the more disappointing when the script fails to give the same attention to the female characters.
Authority figure Callisto (voiced by Lucy Liu) makes a complete 180 as a character midway through the film, which was not foreshadowed even once, and because she has no distinctive character traits, it impairs our ability as the audience to see things from her perspective. She also has a long-standing relationship with both Jaeger and Searcher, but by their interactions, you wouldn’t think they were any more than mere co-workers.
Fighter pilot Meridian (voiced by Gabrielle Union), Ethan’s mom and Searcher’s wife, is a little more defined, but there are still missed opportunities when it comes to her character. For example, when she takes over from Lieutenant Duffle (Alan Tudyk, another Disney movie requirement), she doesn’t even acknowledge him. Her relationship with Splat is also one that they could have expanded on.
The ending of “Strange World” is a little nebulous. Much of the film revolves around Pando, an alternative fuel source that Searcher discovered. The script, however, stops short of offering a definitive stance on the dangers of oil or renewable energy, instead tossing a perfect solution in at the last minute.
Overall, “Strange World” is an entertaining, even thrilling film. It is not at the level of other Disney action-adventure flicks like “Big Hero 6” and “Zootopia,” and that’s OK. Sometimes, we just want to escape. And “Strange World” definitely helps with that.
Tyler D’errico is a junior geomatics major at Fresno State. You can read his movie and television reviews attylerdreviews.weebly.com.
