Mythical creatures are great story subjects because in addition to there being no evidence of their existence, there’s also nothing to contradict any characteristic that may be imaginatively applied to them. In fact, it goes to say that if they do exist, they must have exceptional qualities to have stayed hidden for this long. Thus, besides starring in mockumentaries and people’s blurry photos, legendary beasts like Nessy, Bigfoot and the Yeti have also featured regularly in animated pictures. Not surprisingly, Abominable centres on a young yeti far from home who befriends a human girl dealing with her own sense of loss.
Yi (Chloe Bennet) is the busiest kid in her neighbourhood, secretly working multiple jobs to save for a trip her late father promised they’d take together. Consequently, her former playmate, Peng (Albert Tsai), is often ignored and his older cousin, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor), is appalled by the smell of hard work. One night while daydreaming on the roof, Yi sees something that wasn’t there before: a large yeti that escaped from a nearby holding facility. Injured and alone, she wins his trust then agrees to help him return to his home… on Everest. Before Peng and Jin can stop her, the three of them are escorting the giant creature across the country.
This is a very sweet story about a girl working through her grief by helping a vulnerable creature reunite with its family. Yi is a fixer so when she sees the yeti needs help, she immediately jumps into action to keep him safe and treat his wounds. The results are mixed at first and the angry beast may be a little scary for younger viewers. But everything starts to look up once they get passed the King Kong part of the movie. Together, the three kids and the mythical creature go on an amazing cross-country adventure, visiting stunning locales and historical landmarks. In addition, these wonderous sights are accompanied by beautiful music from Yi’s violin, which is far better than any of the lyrical songs on the soundtrack.
The yeti’s magical abilities are strengthened the closer it gets to home, but it’s also so versatile that it can help in almost any situation. In spite of its relatively young age, it reads a situation quickly and reacts appropriately, whether that means creating waves on land or manipulating nature to aid in an escape. But when they’re not running from Burnish (Eddie Izzard) and Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson), they have quite a bit of fun too. However, the most amusing character in the movie is a rare whooping snake that becomes the centre of a running that never gets old. If you find yourself to also be a fan, be sure to stay for the post credits.
Listen to @ChloeBennet, @TenzingTrainor and @AlbertTsai share what it meant to bring their Chinese culture to the big screen. See their epic adventure through China in #AbominableMovie in theaters this Friday. Get tickets now: pic.twitter.com/4uE1tSOHMU
— DreamWorks Animation (@Dreamworks) September 21, 2019
Directors: Jill Culton and co-director Todd Wilderman
Starring: Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai and Tenzing Norgay Trainor
