“Strange World” was, at first, a way to fill time during an un-eventful weekend, but the movie ended up being an unexpected delight. Instead of being just another magical musical, “Strange World” is one of the most unique movies to come out of Disney. Its distinctive world designs combined with it’s diverse set of characters sets the movie apart from other animated Disney films.

The main focus of the movie is the differences between each generation of the Clade’s, the family the movie centers around. 

The grandfather, Jaeger Clade; the father, Searcher Clade; and the son, Ethan Clade, all have different ideas about what they want to do with their lives and what legacy they should leave behind. 

The conflicting ideas about the family’s legacy lead to arguments and debates.

The arguments between the family members feel genuine and real, something any parent or child would relate to. It was refreshing to see a movie with such realistic family dynamics.

It was pleasing to see that “Strange World” also has a surprisingly insightful commentary on the danger of fossil fuels. 

In the film, Ethan and Searcher discover that Pando, the power source for their home in Avalonia,  is actually a harmful cancer to the world they live on. Despite Avalonia becoming dependent on Pando for most of its energy, like Earth is dependent on fossil fuels, the father and son work together to rid Avalonia of Pando to protect their home from the damage it is creating.

Not only does “Strange World” have a great story, but it has beautiful animation and a generally enjoyable soundtrack. Disney was able to create unique characters, both in personality and in design, despite 3D animation’s reputation of using repetitive characters. The soundtrack is good – not amazing – but good. The story and animation balances the music out.

“Strange World” does a great job of tackling difficult issues while remaining the fun and entertaining story that is expected from Disney’s animated works. “Strange World” should be on the “too watch” list for anyone who appreciates amazing animation, unique stories and relevant commentary on the world we live in today.