Disney Brings a STRANGE WORLD

 Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Disney+ and coming to 4K, Bluray and DVD on February 14^th from directors Don Hall, Qui Nguyen and Walt Disney Animated Studios comes a journey through a STRANGE WORLD.

Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid) and son Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal) are wilderness adventurers who want to get past a mountain that seems to elude them. On the way, Searcher makes his own discovery of a plant that is full of energy. When his father Jaeger wants to continue up the mountain, Searcher knows this is something important and he calls it Pando.

Upset at his son’s choice, Jaeger goes off on his own and is missing for twenty-five years. In that time, Searcher has a wife Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White) on their Pando farm. This gives energy to the town of Avalonia. Things are going well until one day Callisto Mal (Lucy Liu) arrives to let Searcher know that Pando is mysteriously losing its ability to produce power.

Gathering up an expedition of his own, Searcher discovers that Meridian, Ethan and their dog Legend has joined in the mission. Instead, they are attacked by creatures and end up in a world beneath their own but creatures aren’t the only thing lurking about. Searcher discovers his father Jaeger has been living in the strange world.

While grandfather gets to know grandson and father to son, the journey continues and what they discover at the end of the road is something that they could never have ever possibly imagined.    

Gyllenhaal voices Searcher, part of a father-son adventurer team who discovers something else of importance that leads to a split with his father. Raising his own family, he starts to feel his son pull away and it is distressing. Gyllenhaal gives much feeling to Searcher and when son meets grandfather, well, things get even more interesting.

Quaid as Jaeger fears nothing and when the family meets once again, he thinks it is a chance for more family adventures. Yet, there are issues that have to be resolved between father and son – even though there seems to be an instant connection between grandfather and grandson. It seems like Quaid has a good time voicing this character.

Young-White as Ethan fits well into the clan being a bit of an adventurer in his own right. Once the adventure begins, he has a chance to have his say in regards to their world and do everything possible to correct the imbalance. Union as Meridian is no stay-at-home Mom but an adventurer in her own right. She is also very strict and certainly takes a no-nonsense approach to it all. She will remind Moms everywhere that adventure is for everyone.

Liu as Callisto wants to find out what is happening in their world and is not going to let anything get in her way. She is a bit headstrong in a group of very head strong people but when the need arises, her skills are everything they need to get the job done.

Other cast include Francesca Reale as Azimuth, Karan Soni as Caspian, Abraham Benrubi as Lonnie Redshirt, Jonathan Melo as Diazo, Nik Dodani as Kardez, Alan Tudyk as Duffle, and Adelina Anthony as Captain Pulk.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

Disney+ is the subscription home streaming entertainment with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. There are exclusive originals with new feature films, shows, short form content, documentaries, and actions series such as THE MANDALORIAN. For more information, please visit www.disneyplus.com.

Bonus Features include Anatomy of a Scene: Creating a Strange World, Strange Science, Creature Feature, The Hidden Secrets of STRANGE WORLD, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes.

STRANGE WORLD takes on the issues of farming, energy sustainability, creatures great and small, family, love, adventure and forgiveness, acceptance and working together to make their world a better place. That is something I would expect from Disney in each of those forms melding into a story. The creatures are, as I would expect, very creative, funny, colorful and all things Disney.

It is an enjoyable film and one that will lead to family conversations with the content of family, love and creating clean energy. Their world is stunning, of course, but also full of life lessons that are not far from our own and that is everything.

In the end – journey to a place where nothing is as it appears!

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Disney+ from directors Don Hall, Carlos Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa and Walt Disney Animated Studios is the story of RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON.

Raya (Kelly Tran) is a young girl learning the culture, that of Sisu and traditions of her people being taught by her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim). Showing her the lessons of getting along with the other tribes, he believes in peaceful means and shareable solutions. The problem is the other clans do not seem to share his beliefs.

Namaari (Gemma Chan) and Raya meet and show the adults how friendship is done. While sharing their stories, Namaari tells Raya that Sisu (Awkwafina) is still around. But not is all that it seems. Chief Virana’s (Sandra Oh) clan attempts to cause a rift but Benja tries to appeal to their humanity. One move causes everything to scatter, as well as the dragon gem the Heart clan has been protecting.

As Raya escapes, a new journey begins for the young girl who is left on her own. Following a map, she and her trusty animal friend Tuk Tuk are hoping to find the pieces of the dragon gem once again. Six years later, Raya finds the final place to try and bring Sisu back to set the world right.

What she does not expect is a beautiful blue dragon with a unique sense of humor and a story of her own to tell. They can not take to long for this because Raya is being hunted by Namaari who is vengeful and focused on one thing – getting what she wants. Thanks to young captain and chef Boun (Izaac Wang). Sisu and Raya escape to get to the next place and the next piece of the dragon gem.

Now the gang is almost complete as Little Noi (Thalia Tran) and Ton (Benedict Wong) joins the group of those who only want their families back.

Tran gives her Raya a gentle heart with a warrior’s glare. Joining her father in the responsibility for the Heart clan, she is quick to learn, and the lessons are about to become harsh. Thinking she is alone in finding the Dragon gem, she not only finds Sisu but a whole group of different characters and people who believe in what she is doing. Tran lends her voice to give Raya strength and its lovely.

Awkwafina as Sisu is flighty (both literally and figuratively) and is the humor of the duo. The journey with Sisu and Raya is one of learning, trusting and love. Awkwafina is funny, charming and when the time comes, pulls on the heartstrings of trust to help her new-found friend. Her silliness reminds me a bit of Robin Williams in ALADDIN and there certainly is not anything wrong with that!

Kim as Benja wants his daughter to understand why they are protecting the Dragon gem and at the same time teach her how to do things differently, less battles and more understanding. Chan as Naamari is raised differently than Raya with the eyes on a prize that is not hers to have. Time and time again she proves to Raya that the trust between them is misguided. Oh as her mother Virana continues to guide her daughter on the wrong path.

Wong as Ton has a huge heart and its hidden by a huge personage that gives people the wrong impression of him. He also believes in Raya and is about to put his weapon to the test on her behalf. What brings out his softer side is Little Noi voiced by Tran to give us the ‘awwwwwww’ factor until you realize this is not your normal little helpless tyke roaming around!

Other cast include Lucille Soong as Dang Hu, Dichen Lachman as General Atitaya, Patti Harrison as Tail Chief, Jon Park as Chai, Sung Kang as Dang hai, Ross Butler as Spine Chief, and Francois Chau as Wahn.

Disney+ is the subscription home streaming entertainment with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. There are exclusive originals with new feature films, shows, short form content, documentaries, and actions series such as THE MANDALORIAN. For more information, please visit www.disneyplus.com.

Raya is a young woman who believes in her family, culture and the stories that are shared. When it all is taken away, she still holds strong to everything. That is an amazing story to share with not only kids who are taken with Disney films, but to the adults. There is something to be said for the greed of those who want to possess something that either is not theirs or just because they do not want anyone else to have it. 

The story being told through RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON is not only believable but speaks on many levels. The ideal that sharing and working together in times of difficult adversity is something that has been sadly lacking, especially in the last year. Like many Disney films, Raya takes on bringing back those she loves through no fault of her own.

She believes in the good of others and continues to trust those that perhaps she should not, but Raya also has the Anne Frank philosophy that “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart”. But Raya also learns a valuable lesson in letting others help her when she realizes they want the very same thing – and oh what a group it is!

In the end – it is time to come together!