Strange World

Strange World needed a certain spark that should be easy to foster with its journey to the center of the Earth vibe. Instead, it’s a flat, largely dull film hardly worth discovering.

Strong familial conflict, magical adventures and timely social messaging make this animated feature a bit deeper than most. If Strange World can find its audience, those viewers will be pleased. Why? Because even the trees are cool!

There is a movie here… it’s just unbalanced. It’s never horrible. It’s just not the kind of adventure where the audience is fully engaged because we never really know the lay of the land until the last 20 minutes or so.

It’s like a plushier Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Also, it’s the best guide to understanding Zoomers I’ve seen yet.

Strange World channels such classic adventure fare as Journey to the Center of the Earth and Fantastic Voyage. It checks all the Disney boxes, though the degree of genuine conflict, even across the generations, feels a bit subdued.