Strange World Review

I knew I wanted to watch Strange World because it was a Disney movie, but I knew nothing about it going in. I hadn't even seen a trailer. Other than some promotional materials, I had no idea what I was getting into, but I'm really glad I watched it because it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Strange World takes place in a fantasy world where people live surrounded by tall mountains that they can't get past. Twenty-five years before the story starts, Searcher discovers a plant called Pando, which ultimately gives them electricity and powers all of their technology. In the present, the Pando starts dying, and the characters are forced to go find the heart of Pando in order to save it, which ends up leading them underground.

The story definitely reminded me of Journey to the Center of the Earth except more fun. (I'm not a big fan of Journey to the Center of the Earth.) Aside from a group of people travelling underground and discovering a new world there, though, the stories are actually quite different.

Both worlds in the movie were intriguing. It's a shame that we don't spend more time above ground in the movie because I would have enjoyed seeing more of what things are like.

But, of course, the underground world was also incredible. I loved the aesthetics of everything and all the different creatures that managed to be strange yet adorable at the same time.

The human characters were also wonderful. There was a diverse set of characters, including Ethan who is the first queer main character in a Disney movie. I loved how unique everyone was and their relationships with each other. While the universe of the movie was fun, it was definitely the characters that made the movie for me.

The rest of what I have to say will deal with spoilers, so proceed with caution!

First, I have to talk about the line Ethan has when playing his game with his dad and grandfather. He says that the game doesn't have any bad guys, and his dad and grandfather mock it.

As soon as that exchange happened, I knew it was about the movie and that there wasn't a villain, which meant I was waiting to find out why the reapers weren't actually doing anything bad. The exchange did feel a little heavy handed, I have to admit.

Also, it turns out that the whole world is on top of/inside a giant turtle thing, and I couldn't help but think of the Lion Turtle from Avatar. In Legend of Korra, there are even people living on the Lion Turtles like there are in Strange World, though I think the Avatar versions are actually smaller than this one.

Of course, the idea of a turtle with a world on its back isn't unique to Avatar. It exists in stories from several different cultures. But I couldn't help but be reminded of it.

Overall, I really enjoyed Strange World. It was probably my favorite Disney movie in a while. It's one that I'm sure I'll rewatch.