Disney seems oddly disinterested in promoting their latest toon. This being the studio’s first big budget animation since 2021’s wildly successful Encanto. Trailers have been sparse, merchandise limited and buzz low. It’s a shame because Strange World is a rather fun romp on the whole. Popping visuals dance across the screen to the tune of a full bodied orchestra in swell flow. The narrative is, truth by told, somewhat lacking. It’s fabulously Gen Z in agenda but succeeds most when it tries least. The throwaway progressive conceits on display resonate far more here than the heavier and worthy messaging that comes to dominate in the final stretch.
Bill Nighy really does give the performance of his career in Living. This being the Oliver Hermanus directed adaptation of 1951 Kurosawa classic Ikiru, which was itself drawn from Tolstoy novella ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’. The pedigree of pen continues here, with none other than Kazuo Ishiguro behind the script. It’s a surprisingly easy segue from the Japanese mannerisms of Kurosawa’s film to the particularly British sensibilities of Hermanus’ 1950s setting. Visually, this is achieved via truncated period ratios, a fine grain and gorgeous attention to detail. Though melancholia haunts proceedings, it’s not hard to find reservoirs of joy in the film’s performances and faith in the power of an individual to make change happen. The final shot, though borrowed, is perfection.
Be careful what you wish for. That’s the rather rote message at the heart of Adam Shankman’s long awaited sequel to noughties favourite Enchanted. It’s also a warning. A caution that all those that have clamoured for this moment these past fifteen years might well have heeded. Disenchanted is no outright flop and yet it is a film that comes perilously close to living up to its title in all the wrong ways. The poisoned apple doesn’t fall far from the twee. Perhaps a lack of faith behind the scenes at Disney has let the film down. Ambition curtailed. Cinematic potential stifled in favour of streaming and a trimmed budget. Disenchanted is sweet in the moment but little more than the a modern day’s ‘direct-to-DVD’ follow up.
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