Strange World is a 2022 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film follows a legendary family of explorers who must set aside their differences as they embark on a journey to a mysterious subterranean land inhabited by surreal lifeforms, in order to save the miracle plant Pando, which is their society's source of energy. The film was directed by Don Hall and written by Qui Nguyen, and stars the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu. Hall first conceived Strange World in 2017. It drew inspiration from pulp magazines, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Jurassic Park (1993) and King Kong (1933). To communicate non-verbally, several animators worked to create the movement of the character Splat. While the film is predominantly CGI, the film incorporates 2D animation from Randy Haycock, with additional 2D animation by Eric Goldberg and Mark Henn in certain scenes. Henry Jackman provided the musical score. The film introduced Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead character, leading to the film being pulled from theatrical release in some regions. Strange World premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 15, 2022, and was released in the United States on November 23, by Walt Disney Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, but was a box-office bomb, grossing $74 million, with a projected loss of $197 million for Disney. After its release on Disney+, it was the most-watched film during its first weeks on the platform.
Plot In the land of Avalonia, which is surrounded by an endless wall of mountains, Jaeger Clade and his son, Searcher brave the wilderness to explore new worlds. While trying to traverse the mountains to find a way across it, Searcher discovers a green plant that gives off energy. He and the rest of the expedition team decide to return to Avalonia with the plant while Jaeger angrily continues his mission alone. 25 years later, Searcher has made a name for himself by introducing the miracle plant, dubbed Pando, as a fuel source for Avalonia. He and his wife Meridian are Pando farmers while their son Ethan has a crush on his friend Diazo and chafes at his father's expectation of becoming a farmer like him. One night, Callisto Mal, the president of Avalonia and one of Jeager's former expedition teammates, shows up in her airship, the Venture, to inform the Clades that Pando is losing its power and asks Searcher to help find the cause. He joins an expedition to travel into a giant sinkhole in which the roots of Pando have been located. On the way down, Meridian tries catching up in her crop-duster when Ethan and their three-legged dog Legend stows away on the Venture. While being attacked by red wyvern-like creatures, the Venture crash-lands in a subterranean world, where Searcher and Legend are separated from the group. They are attacked by a creature called a "Reaper," but are rescued by Jaeger who has been living underground all these years. He has been trying to cross the mountains from below, but is blocked by an acidic ocean and states his intention to board the Venture to attempt to cross it. Meanwhile, Ethan sneaks away from the Venture to find Searcher. He befriends an amorphous blue creature, naming it Splat, before being reunited with Searcher, Legend, and Jaeger. They are attacked by more Reapers, but are rescued by Meridian and President Callisto and return to the Venture. Searcher insists on completing their mission, while Jaeger wants to continue journeying across the Strange World. Ethan becomes frustrated with them and their opposing worldviews. After another wild encounter, Searcher and Jaeger finally have a heart-to-heart talk and realize that they do respect each other's goals in life. They eventually find a cluster of Pando's roots, which is being attacked by the Strange World's creatures. When Searcher learns that Ethan wants to explore more of the Strange World, he blames Jaeger's influence on him. Ethan angrily jumps off the Venture and on to one of the Reapers, while Searcher follows him aboard a small flying vehicle. In a heated argument, Ethan reveals he does not want to be a farmer. As a remorseful Searcher is apologizing, they realize that they have passed through the mountains to the ocean beyond where they see the eye of a giant turtle-like creature. The two realize that Avalonia is on the creature's back and that they have been traveling through its body, meaning that the Reapers and all the other creatures are its immune system. Seeing that Pando is an infection attacking the creature's heart, they head back to inform the expedition team that Pando must be destroyed, but President Callisto has them locked up to prevent them from stopping the mission while Jaeger furiously sails off to see for himself. After Legend and Splat free the family, Searcher and Ethan head to the creature's heart to clear a path for the Reapers, while Meridian takes over the ship and convinces President Callisto to help. Just as Jaegar is about to leave, he decides to return, and with his help, they break through Pando and the creatures appear and destroy it, bringing the heart back to life and saving the land. Searcher decides to make one last stop in front of the creature's eyes for his father. One year later, Ethan and Diazo are in a relationship as they collect resources from the underground with their friends, and Avalonia shifts from Pando energy to wind turbines. Jaeger visits his ex-wife Penelope, who has remarried during his absence, while his relationship with Searcher improves as they run the farm. The camera zooms away from Avalonia to show the giant turtle-like creature on an ocean-covered planet.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
