Directed By Don Hall and Qui Nguyen

Starring – Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White

The Plot – The film introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures.

Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements

Strange World | Official Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

Inspired by the pulp adventure serials of the golden age of cinema, “Strange World” emulates that inspiration with an audible and visual identity that is easily among Disney’s most expressive of the 21st century. Everything from the side-scrolling scene transitions to the on-screen text mirroring the bold lettering with slapstick stamping, perfectly mirrors the authentic vibe of its captures, and when combined with the contemporary technique of some exceptional animation stylings generating a blossoming color and creatively unique creature designs, transcribes the perfect aesthetic dynamic that at least visually gets this off to a rip-roaring experience. Equally vital in channeling that vintage essence is the thunderously boisterous musical compositions from the great Henry Jackman, who with a 7-string orchestra in tow channels urgency, intensity, and especially wonder to the radiant visuals they’re continuously accommodating. Because the direction from Hall and Nguyen leaves slightly more to be desired in physically exerting the stakes and vulnerability of the environment, Jackman’s influence oversteps its boundaries in the best kind of enveloping, bringing with them a much-needed influential pulse that plays best to the best soundscapes that a theater can supplant. Beyond this, the screenplay is a bit erratic at times, but at the very least juggles meaningful themes to play nourishingly towards its family dynamic. Because the film deals not only with legacies, but also protecting the environment, it proves a meaningful merit to play all the more fluently towards its progressive social commentary, effectively rendering an air of responsibility to its audience without feeling downright preachy. Finally, the talents of the gifted ensemble are firmly at play, with the dexterity of Gabrielle Union, the exhillarance of Jaboukie Young-White, and charming charisma of Alan Tudyk making the most of his doubling down cameo. However, this is definitely Gyllenhaal and Quaid’s show to lose, and because they refuse to give it over, we’re treated to a believably fully-fledged father and son relationship, full of the nuances and psychologies of differing philosophies and compromising absences that come to define their dynamic. Quaid dazzles with the same rugged vocal capacities that have always made him ripe for the animated silver screen, in my opinion, and Jake adds on a much-needed brace of empathy and self-humility that keeps the scenes fun, even when the material disappoints.

NEGATIVES

Speaking of disappointments, the blandess in this screenplay is full of them, barely exerting a moved muscle to fully flesh out its characters and plot with something equally as compelling as its ambitious visuals. As previously mentioned, this is a progressive film of sorts, in that The Clades are an interracial family with a gay son, and while I fully support that kind of sentiment by a company such as Disney who feels twenty years behind in introducing these layers to their films and characters, the justification of it here leads to very little to make it meaningful in what it draws out. After these aspects are introduced, they’re very rarely, if ever, followed through upon again, and when compared to an early reveal by Quaid’s abandonment of his son and their family, which is never addressed anywhere in the film, you kind of realize that surface level exploration damns this journey almost immediately. The big reveal of the third act is easily predictable if you spot the designs of some of the invading creatures, the humor is as flat as a pancake, with as much effectiveness as a ten-year-old firework, and the emotional impulses and feelings that the film reaches so heavily for, never materializes in a run time that is constantly undercutting the momentum of everything it’s casually dispersing. At 90 minutes, the bare average of cinematic run times, the film is far too short, leaving little wiggle room of opportunity to let things grow patiently and naturally, instead of colliding at us abruptly with resolutions materializing almost out of thin air from often clueless characters. This is especially the case with the movie’s resolution, with a direction that all but makes you groan with the sentiment of why they didn’t just do that in the first place, outlining much of the growing frustrations with this film, the longer it persists. Finally, while the aforementioned performances do their part to transcribe personality to the air of their characters, the lack of depth in their characterization’s flatten the cause, leading to a lack of personal investment for their motivations or even momentary plights. This is a major problem for movies in general, but especially for kids’ films because they will often tie their interests to a bigger than life character and considering “Strange World” embraces such a bizarre and fantastical concept, its pawns involved in such are as plain as vanilla ice cream.

OVERALL
“Strange World” does occasionally generate entertainment value in the air of its gorgeously illustrated animation and orchestral accompaniments to its adventurous spirit, but its engine stalls with a try-hard script and condemning run time that leaves little opportunity for the plates it’s continuously juggling, leaving this a sloppy and often incoherent science fiction pulp homage that sacrifices the fun for the fantastical.

My Grade: 6/10 or C