USA TODAY, New York Tim review 'Strange World,' gay Disney character

Contents:

• DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE
• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?
• HERE'S HOW 'STRANGE WORLD' TRODUC THE FIRST OUT GAY TEENAGER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM: 'IT WAS A BETIFUL THG TO BE A PART OF'
• LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE

While “Strange World” explor a fantastil environment full of myster creatur and flora, cludg flyg fish and walkg rock lumns, the actn-adventure film also clus a first for Walt Disney Animatn Studs: a gay teen romance.

The animated feature troduc viewers to Ethan Cla, a biracial, openly gay teenager who gets pletely tongue-tied when he’s near his csh, Diazo. “His gayns is one part of him.

6 ln over the five-day holiday weekend spe beg herald as the first Disney movie to clu an openly gay ma character.

‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?

However, those figur were rapidly, and signifintly, revised downwards when was unrstood how poorly the movie was performg wh wh other recent Disney animated movi cludg Lightyear (another disappotg box office flop), Strange World sought to crowbar progrsive to the film, cludg for the first time Disney’s history an openly gay ma character. However, one liberal movie reviewer said Disney would likely e homophobia to shield om the film’s obv shortgs. “Disney is 100% gog to blame STRANGE WORLD’s evable bad box office on the fact that there’s an openly gay character the movie when realy, ’s gog to flop bee they didn’t market at all.

HERE'S HOW 'STRANGE WORLD' TRODUC THE FIRST OUT GAY TEENAGER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM: 'IT WAS A BETIFUL THG TO BE A PART OF'

Disney’s latt major animatn fally livers on those reprentatn promis the pany’s been makg for years (Picture: Disney)Disney has fally done – after years of quick referenc, teasg and plenty of queer dg, the stud has s first gay lead character an animatn wh new film, Strange World. Dpe s stumble earlier this year when Disney had to be phed to speak out publicly agast Florida’s highly ntroversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, as one of the world’s most powerful media pani has been an advote for LGBTQ+ rights and cln for many years via s msagg, polici and – of urse – merchandise. Everyone remembers the ial excement when was revealed Disney was gog to feature s first ‘openly gay’ character wh LeFou (Josh Gad) the 2017 live-actn remake of Bety and the Beast, before turned out was all to do wh Gad’s performance one scene and never tentnally baked to the script.

Sce 2020, feels like we’ve been chg towards this evable moment wh Strange World, after Onward featured a lbian character, live-actn film Jungle Cise ma explic reference to Jack Whehall’s character McGregor beg gay and Toy Story adjacent film Lightyear showed Disney’s first animated same-sex kiss 2022 (aga, sadly cut some untri, as well as almost the US). Fans were prevly upset to see Shang cut om the live-actn Mulan remake (Picture: Disney)However, is Strange World that is the Disney rtoon that is first to make one of s lead characters gay, balancg a way where is repeatedly referenced, forms part of a sub-plot and – ccially – allows for some lovely bondg moments between s supportive onscreen fay.

LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

Openly gay edian Jaboie Young-Whe stars as Ethan Cla, the grandson of legendary explorer Jaeger Cla (Dennis Quaid) and son of the more rerved explorer-turned-farmer Searcher Cla (Jake Gyllenhaal). Ethan also mak an awome new iend Splat, FYI (Picture: Disney)Durg their geoly animated adventure, which ow a bt of gratu to pulp magaz, Jul Verne, Terry Pratchett and mythology, is ma clear early on that Ethan is gay and nursg a csh on one of his male iends.

Strange World manag to balance a sual ‘not a big al’ approach to Ethan as Disney’s first gay lead character while also makg tegral to who he is and an element of his personaly that’s never bshed unr the rpet.

The dispirg explanatn uld be that Disney, fearg uproar om all matters of the right, has chewed any big promo s more homogeno films receive.