International Premiere
Annecy Film Festival
June 10 & 13th, 2024
Dad has gone missing in The Worlds Divide. And if he’s not found in time, the world of Esluna may not continue existing. Anyone who’s followed this epic tale will be in for a treat. Here, it’s always about people wanting to discover the purpose of various technological relics that’s scattered around this realm, and it’s about time this entry is putting things together.
Following a preview at Spark! Film Festival, this latest work by Denver Jackson is making its proper world debut at the Annecy. I’ve interviewed him when he was still producing this film, and as a result, I firmly believe this filmmaker’s sense of how to present an epic is better thought out than all of Disney’s Star Wars cinematic releases put together. That is, unlike how various producers keep on changing what The Force represents; here, it concerns what secrets the Monolith contains!
Here, the tale focuses on Natomi (Breanna Pearl) who is a paraplegic living in a system where everything is manufactured. Nothing of the natural world remains and people live in a cocoon like society. And when many of its citizens wear the same uniform, perhaps there’s a subtext to read into. And because of that, trouble looms. Terric (Phillip Sacramento) may have solved the food problem, and not everyone is pleased. To save her from this life, this parent believes it’s best to send her to another realm. Although he said he’ll be following along shortly, I believe he never did. Once she drops out of the pod and into a lush, green, Esluna, she is in awe. And the strangers she soon meets become friends.
Miito (Max Lindsey) steals the show because he’s like a mini-Wolverine. I really like him, and when considering he’s half bear and cybernetic, that’s a concept I really dig. And there’s Roko (Daniel Acosta) and Bataar (Andrew Lander) who are kind of like a young Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi (but more gruff) of this universe. When these talents are relative newcomers to this field, it’s easy to hear how they are getting used to doing voice overs work over acting on acreen.
This teen is determined to find her pops because it’s implied he’ll be following. But little does she know he has been here many times before. When the pods he designed can only transport one than two, I had to wonder why keep them apart in this other world? I wanted answers.
Also, when these devices can only be activated by folks who carry the Bloodwind with them, to find individuals who can use these relics are tough. It’s a type of mystic energy very few can tap into. When The Worlds Divide features a villain who doesn’t want anyone else to access these portals, Idena (Chelsea Krause) is determined to hunt down these individuals and if they won’t help her, she’ll instead put them six feet under!
And what Natomi learns about her father feels like a story I’ve looked at before in TRON: Legacy. He helped create this world, much like how Flynn helps build a self-contained GRID. And when there are a lot of legends concerning what he’s helped civilise, what this young lady has to ask is if he likes playing god. Answers are provided, and I’m curious if he’ll choose to remain here or decide to go home to their earth when they are reunited. That’s a detail I won’t divulge, but overall, if you’ve seen one animated piece set in the world of Esluna, you gotta see them all.
Visually, this filmmaker’s style has improved when compared to his early efforts. It’s mostly due to him getting better over time, and as for being able to create a world you like to visit time and time again, I recommend watching everything he’s done to date. That includes Esluna: The First Monolith on YouTube because it establishes a lot of the backstory. Plus, by having those bits fresh in your memory, it’ll make enjoyment of this latest all the better. Overall, once you’ve seen one animated piece set in this lush world of Esluna, you gotta see them all.
4 Stars out of 5
The Worlds Divide Trailer
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