Strange World

So here is the situation as it stands. That was a solid movie. I won't even say VERY solid. It was "good enough". Better than what Pixar has been doing lately, and MUCH better than Lightyear. And the film has been a lightning rod for criticism not just due to the poor box office performance, but for rightwing backlash to its diversity and inclusion of same sex relationships. And I'm wary of pushing back against that politically. My concern is if it negatively effects the movie or not. And it of course does not. But I am also mindful that as the most diverse Walt Disney Studios movie ever some people will believe (not without reason) it had an obligation to be amazing and groundbreaking in both story and pathos. And while I understand the need for people rooting for diversity to want material engaging in it to be as high a quality as possible, I think that mindset is wrong-headed.

A diverse and LGBT-friendly kids movie has the absolute right to merely be okay. It is under absolutely NO obligation to knock people's socks off. I think people decided that because this movie is well, NOT a groundbreaking story or idea, to pile on, and accuse it of being nothing special.

In my opinion it doesn't have to be. I think the reason it upset so many people is because it portrayed those relationships as normal, happy, and healthy. And the way you know respect for diversity and gender equality has really seeped into society's consciousness is when so-so projects start portraying that as normal and no big deal. People were threatened by this movie for refusing to make the things it portrayed controversial. There is nobody ragging on Ethan for liking a boy and the race differences of Searcher and Meridian are not commented on once. The fact that the movie just portrays all this as a given and woven into the fabric of this society WHILE merely being pretty good is a far bigger threat to bigoted orthodoxy than if the movie had been both bold and amazing. It's the NORMALCY the happy family is treated with in a average, not-great movie which is what many people perceived as dangerous. And let me blunt. Bigots are RIGHT to be threatened by that. Pop culture making AVERAGE kiddie flicks with gay characters and interracial couples? I see entirely why the knives were out.

This movie got a LOT of crap for not being amazing. Me? I think the fact that it's quality is middling is very encouraging to me as far as diversity in media goes. The fact that it's in the background and no big deal is why people were so upset. And I'm very glad they were and I hope more average movies like this come out and normalize loving relationships and diverse families.

I haven't really delved deep into the movie itself. I think the only real scene I loved was Searcher and his dad on the deck as he grumbles and tries to explain why he didn't try harder to get home. I also like and appreciate the fact that we are given no context as to when this adventure takes place, on what planet, what happened to Earth, or even if the humans from this reality are FROM there. It all feels very sci-fi pulp for that reason and adds an element of unsolved mystery as well.

Is the Turtle Maturin? Is it a Stephen King Dark Tower reference? Wouldn't shock me.

Certain critics of the movie will call it dangerous propaganda on one hand while claiming it's a boring, lukewarm snooze on the other, not realizing it can't be both. I think it's a lukewarm movie, but for those silly, wrong critics, I would guess its normalcy is the most dangerous thing about it. ***1 removed link