Strange World review: Disney's new animation is all-too-familiar

Did Strange World exceed expectations? Despite some good points, the answer, sadly, is no.

For anybody brought up on Disney films, the frisson that goes with the magic castle and the strains of When You Wish Upon A Star is unique. No other studio does it. But for its animated movies, it’s fading. And Strange World, its fourth and final animation of the year, shines a light on some of the reasons why.

Not that it’s the worst film the House Of Mouse has ever turned out, but its attempt at an old-school adventure with an environmental message should be taken as a wake-up call. For those who want to hear. 

The action begins with a prologue in comic book format, complete with graphics reminiscent of Indiana Jones. Teenager Searcher Clade (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal and looking rather like him, as is the current trend) goes on an expedition to conquer Avalonia’s mountains with his father, Jaeger (voiced by Dennis Quaid, with a mustache seemingly borrowed from Kurt Russell). He discovers a strange plant, Pando, which revolutionizes life in the kingdom, providing the population with everything they need, especially power. Fast forward twenty years or so and Searcher now runs a farm, successfully growing and selling Pando. His teenage son, Ethan (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White) doesn’t want to follow in his father’s farming footsteps, but when the plant starts dying off for no reason, the two find themselves on a mission to find out why. The problem, however, isn’t what they thought — and the solution means a radical change for everybody.

The narrative is a box-ticking exercise, full of references to other titles — the Avalonia setting is redolent of Lost Horizon and Journey To The Centre Of The Earth — which provide the backdrop to what is essentially Disney’s environmental movie. It’s a big issue, right? But there’s more topicality on the list. Family dog Legend has three legs. It doesn’t prevent him from getting around or having the regulatory amount of cute goofiness, but a Scooby-Doo level of cowardice does hold him back. There’s a wobbly but friendly blue alien called Splat who comes from the depths of Avalonia and is accepted with open arms by the entire clan. 

One of the larger boxes concerns Ethan, who has a crush on one of his friends from school. His parents have completely accepted that he’s gay. In fact, everybody has, so that there’s no great revelation, no agonizing (apart from the customary uncertainty that goes with starting a relationship), and no fuss at all. That it’s handled in such a matter of fact way is both impressive and refreshing. It’s perhaps the best aspect of the film and it gets a very large tick for that.

There is an attempt to give the audience something new. Disney is promoting Strange World as an original action-adventure and they’ve put Don Hall, a director who loves to create new worlds, at the helm. His Oscar-winning Big Hero 6 introduced us to the wonders of San Fransokyo, which is echoed in the city at the center of Avalonia. His other creations, and the creatures inhabiting them, stand on their own and have a simplicity that will appeal especially to the younger members of the audience.

But, ultimately, the environment is what the film is all about and, if you haven’t realized this as the climax arrives, don’t worry. You’re emphatically hit over the head with The Message, and a disappointingly facile one it is too. It’s symptomatic of one of the other big problems with the movie. The action may take a deep dive beneath Avalonia, but the script barely scratches the surface when it comes to that list of themes. Only Ethan’s storyline gets close.

If only it was in a better film. Strip away the setting and the messages and what you have is pretty much bog-standard Disney. Despite the cuteness and one strong action sequence, the running time means that the film outstays its welcome, especially for the youngsters in the audience. The creativity and animation are both decent enough and, while it’s a pleasantly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, it seems to be a lot of effort for little return. 

Strange World is released in US and UK cinemas on 23 November.