List: 'Strange World' reviews about Disney's first out gay, character, biracial queer teen
In a story published by the Tallahassee Democrat, it was reported that a Florida teacher is under investigation by the articulate Department of Education after what she believes is a targeted attack by a school board member who took issue with a Disney movie shown in her classroom.
The animated movie, called "Strange World," was released in November. It's the first Disney movie featuring an out-gay character named Ethan Clade, played by gay comedian Jaboukie Young-White. Clade’s storyline includes having a crush on another male character named Diazo.
What did movie reviewers say about "Strange World?" Below are 11 excerpts from media websites and the other takes critics had on the gay character, Ethan.
LGBTQ characters in Disney, Marvel? Besides 'Strange World,' there's 'Lightyear,' 'Andi Mack,' 'Thor,' 'Loki' and moreDo you recognize them? Photos of 8 Disney, Marvel characters who are gay, lesbian or bisexualNeed a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
USA TODAY calls 'Strange
Strange World’s Excellent Gay Romance Is Undermined By Disney’s Past Failures
Disney hasn’t done an incredible job of marketing Strange World. Of all the friends and family I spoke to after the media screening this weekend, about 90 percent of them hadn’t heard of it - 90 percent of my friends are gay and love animation, so this shouldn’t be a blind spot. Social media coverage has been slight, and reviews are only just coming out of the woodwork ahead of its November 23 release. For what it’s worth, it’s pretty good. I’d anticipate nothing less from the creative talent behind Moana, Big Hero 6, and Raya and the Last Dragon. However, one of its strongest elements has already become a lousy joke.
Ethan Clade is one of the film’s main characters, a queer teenager raised by a family who isn’t afraid to embrace his sexuality and encourage him to be who he wants to be. The film could have so easily made this LGBTQ+ identity and its associated acceptance a core plot point, but instead it’s unexpectedly normal. Ethan’s crush and his
Movie Review: Strange World
What was significant about Strange World’s LGBTQ+ representation other than the LGBTQ+ character being the protagonist, was that his queerness was something that came up through out the movie. The characters frequently talk about the teen that Ethan has a crush on. So it would be difficult for Disney to erase his queerness by deleting the scenes in which it is mentioned. There would just be too many scenes to get rid of.
Another thing that was refreshing about this representation was that despite the movie being about “daddy issues”, neither Ethan’s father nor his grandfather had issues with Ethan being attracted to other boys. This may imply that his family is generally accepting, but more likely homophobia doesn’t live at all in this fantasy setting. After all, his grandpa, Jaeger, has been alone in the Strange World since his son who is now an adult, was a child. And he doesn’t bat an eye when Ethan tells him that he has a crush on another boy. Jaeger never even assumes that Ethan’s crush is a girl, when Ethan mentions having a crush with
Verdict:Strange World is a mixed-bag, featuring stunningly beautiful visuals, a good-but-not-great story, and a front-and-center message about exploring sexuality.
About The Movie
Disney is back and ready to transport audiences to strange new worlds. Strange World is an original story featuring a talented voice cast.The most obvious comparison is to Pixar’s Lightyear, which released earlier this year and sparked much debate. Strange World is also a science-fiction story that seems destined to ignite some of the same controversy. From top to bottom, Strange World is a vastly superior film to Lightyear, but it also leans more heavily into the other film’s most controversial element (namely, its LGBTQ storyline). As such, I suspect it will be an equally divisive film.
We’ll examine the sexuality component below, but let’s begin with the movie itself, since there is much to commend and appreciate. This film is a visual feast. In fact, Strange World may be the most stunning and beautifully animated movie I’ve ever seen. Almost every frame is bursting