Jaeger Clade is a legendary explorer. When his son, Searcher, turns his back on exploring, a rift opens between them. Decades later, Searcher is a dad himself and hopes his own son, Ethan, will stay in the family business. Disney’s Strange World (2022) is an animated fantasy adventure, but at its core it’s a story about fathers and sons.
This review comes from Down the Hobbit Hole, a blog by a small team of Christian bloggers who write mostly about movies, books, church, family and education. It opens with what parents want to know first: rating, length, a suggested age of 6 and up and a content note (mild peril, fights with monsters, a family story about abandonment and no foul language). A summary, the trailer and an honest review follow. The reviewer found the film mild and fun for the whole family, while flagging what could bother young children, like a few frightening creatures and long stretches of dialogue.
The post also responds to the negative reviews that piled up before the film’s release, including criticism of its environmental message and of an LGBTQ+ relationship in the story, and explains why the reviewer disagrees.
The three lessons are what make it worth reading with your family or youth group in mind: don’t let a personal goal wreck the rest of your life, face your own hurts so you don’t pass them on to your kids, and caring for the planet takes sacrifice. Six discussion questions round it off.
If your kids have seen the film or you’re planning a movie night, the review gives you a natural way to talk about family, old wounds and responsibility.
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This review by the Down the Hobbit Hole team first appeared on their blog, Down the Hobbit Hole. Pulse published a German version in January 2023 (in German).
