December 1, 2022 – They are not kidding when they call this movie “Strange World.” It takes place in a world that really is about as strange as it possibly can be. The main story is a fairly standard story about fathers and sons who don't agree on their life plans, but it takes place in a very strange setting.

The setting for this story is so strange it is almost impossible to guess the true nature of it until it is revealed, late in the film. The story centers on a farmer, Searcher Clade, who discovers a kind of miracle crop, a plant called pando that is loaded with energy that now powers the advanced civilization of Avalonia.

Searcher originally discovered pando during an expedition led by his explorer father, Jaeger Clade, to find a way through the impassable mountains ringing Avalonia. Jaeger was not interested in plant, and left the expedition to find the way past the impassible mountains on his own, and was never seen again. Years later, Pando has revolutionized life in Avalonia, but the plants are dying, and a new expedition is organized to get to the root of the problem.

Searcher is happy to be a farmer and hopes his teenage son, Ethan Clade, will follow in his footsteps, but Ethan is more like his grandfather. He refuses to get left behind and stows away on the pando-powered airship with the rest of the expedition. Searcher's wife, Meridian Clade, ends up on the expedition as well when she flies out in a crop duster following Ethan's trail.

All the Pando plants are connected to a single root system that goes down deep into the earth. The expedition airship descends down through vast underground caverns, where they break through some kind of membrane into a fantastic world where everything is alive. There, Searcher finds his long lost father, trapped here long ago in his search for a way through the mountains.

Jaeger, Ethan and Searcher Clade all team up to try to find the root of the problem with the pando crop. This is a very uneasy alliance. Searcher is afraid his son will end up being influenced by his reckless adventurer father, and he tries to prevent that. Strangely, Searcher is able to reconnect with his estranged father as they explore this new world together.

There is finally a resolution to the frayed relationships of these fathers and sons. The solution to the failing pando crop problem, however, is something entirely unexpected. The solution leads to major conflicts on the airship which are not resolved easily or immediately. It has to do with the very nature of the strange world they find themselves in.

There are some strong women characters in the film, including Meridian Clade and Callisto Mal, the president of Avalonia and the leader of the expedition, but the women are not given much to do in this story. It is all about Jaeger, Searcher and Ethan Clade, their differences, their similarities and their relationships to each other.

This story is basically an extended tale of male bonding. The movie is visually compelling with wildly imaginative, colorful visuals. There is plenty of action as the expedition repeatedly faces danger from an array of dangerous creatures and obstacles. This is an entertaining romp, which doesn't really make sense, but it is fun. It rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2022 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at