“Abominable” Movie Review

    The mythological creature known as the Yeti has been all over the silver screen the past few years.  Apparently having big feet is sheik.  The latest film to feature the yeti is “Abominable” which hit theaters last month.  I was curious how this film would compare to the recent film depicting the abominable snowman because the previews for this movie were really cute.

    The film tells the story of a young girl named Yi who is working hard to save up money to take a trip to the places her dad promised they would go to together before he passed away.  Things change for Yi one night when she stumbles on an injured and scared yeti on her complex’s rooftop one night.  Upon realizing that the yeti wants to return home to Mount Everest, Yi sets off to help the yeti return home.  Yi is joined by friends Jin and Peng on her quest but the gang must make sure Everest (the name they gave to the yeti) isn’t recaptured by a greedy businessmen named Burnish.

    The film’s main strength is in how cute they made Everest.  Just seeing how sad and scared he looks makes you care about his quest to find home.  It is also a unique spin for the film to take place in Shanghai, giving the film a unique setting.  Between the friendships the yeti and children share, the movie has a real heartwarming feel.

    Now, the film isn’t without some minor flaws, most noticeably being that yeti/Bigfoot animated movies have been done a lot recently so it doesn’t come off as all that original.  While the film has certain qualities that are lacking in “Smallfoot” and “Missing Link”, the fact that both these films tackle yetis isn’t lost on most audience members.

    The film also slows down a bit in pace in the second act (and noticeably when dealing with the antagonist Burnish).  It’s not that it takes much away from the film, but youngsters might check out a bit when Everest isn’t on screen.  On the plus side, the movie has a lot of good morals for children.

    “Abominable” is a good film in the vain of “How to Train Your Dragon” and will leave you feeling like a kid again.  What the film lacks in originality it more than makes up for in charm.  Ultimately, this is a film worthy of checking out, especially if you have kids.

Grade: B

“Smallfoot” Movie Review

    In case it wasn’t completely obvious, I am a pretty big movie nerd.  So, being the big film buff I am, my girlfriend and I try to see as many films in the theater as possible.  I don’t know how or why she puts up with me, but she does thankfully.  Naturally when her birthday rolled around, she got to pick the movie she wanted to see and I was extremely happy she picked “Smallfoot” because I was excited to see that movie as well.  (Special note, today is our year and a half anniversary.  I feel like the luckiest guy in the world).

    I was excited to see “Smallfoot” because I generally like animated films.  While there are some that don’t work, most of them have a little more to offer than your avarage live action fair.  Plus the trailer for the film looked interesting and cute.  I guess now you are wondering if the movie worked or if it disappointed me.  Well, breath a sigh of relief because the movie was entertaining.

    The thing “Smallfoot” has going for it most is it’s interesting premise.  It basically takes the premise of “Harry and the Hendersons” and flips the script.  It is fun seeing a Yeti encounter from the prospective of the Yeti.  So the plot is super cute and simple.  It also provides a good moral lesson for children on the importance of being honest no matter what.

    The voice cast was fun with standout voice work provided by Channing Tatum, Common, and Danny DeVito.  Channing Tatum in particular gave a sincere and pure performance as the lead character Migo.  DeVito provided a good chunk of the laughs as Migo’s father.

    The film’s humor was designed mainly for kids.  Now, this is true with most animated films, some films like “Shrek” manage to cleaverly include adult themed  jokes that would go over most children’s heads to provide some extra entertainment for the adults watching the films.  Is that needed to make a film good? Absolutely not, it does seem to help make an animated film stand the test of time however.  I would be interested to see if the strong premise alone can help this film stand the test of time.  One other thing to note is the characters occasionally break into singing (this happens around three times in the movie) and while the songs are cute, it happens just enough to give it a slight musical vibe.  I didn’t mind it in the film, but I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

    So overall I came out of the movie with a smile on my face which is the important thing.  It provided me a joyful sense of escapism and while I may not remember it well in a few months, I do know I will remember having a good time seeing it with my beautiful girlfriend.

Grade: B