The Directors: Jill Culton and Todd Wilderman
The Cast:
Chloe Bennet – Yi
Albert Tsai – Peng
Tenzing Norgay Trainor – Jin
Eddie Izzard – Burnish
Sarah Paulson – Dr. Zara
Tsai Chin – Nai Nai
Michelle Wong – Yi’s Mom
Certificate: U
Released: 11th October 2019
The Plot:
Three teenagers, Yi (Bennet, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D),
Peng (Tsai, Fresh Off The Boat), and Jin (Trainor, Modern Family),
must help a young Yeti, called Everest, find his way home. Unfortunately, a
wealthy collector (Izzard, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) and a
zoologist (Paulson, American Horror Story) have other ideas.
The Review:
You could say that similar films have covered the themes of Abominable
already: much like Disney’s Big Hero 6, it deals with grief and the
importance of family, with a mixed bunch of protagonists. That isn’t a bad
thing, though. At first, you may be tempted to believe that Yi and Jin will get
together but think again; cousins rarely feature in animated films, and out of
all of the characters, Jin changes the most. He starts as a self-absorbed
ladies’ man obsessed with his new trainers, and he makes mistakes along the way,
but his family still forgive him for it. As for Peng, I could watch him, and
Everest play and mess around all day; they are adorable. The journey is also
for Yi, who is a talented violinist despite giving up playing since her father
passed away. Listen out for an acoustic version of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’; I
guarantee there will be a lump in your throat by the end of that beautiful
scene.
Abominable is a visual love letter to Asia as our
indomitable quartet travel to Mount Everest. We meet them in the neon city,
crossing rivers and swathes of golden flowers with a little help from the young
yeti’s telekinetic powers that never get explained. We only know that the
closer he gets to the mountain; the stronger Everest becomes. A scene involving
giant blueberries is particularly funny, as well as the unexpected, brilliant
whooping snakes.
Like the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, the
grown-ups are the villains, focused on personal fame and glory without considering
how it will affect young Everest. To Burnish, he is an exhibit, and to Dr. Zara
Everest is just another animal for her to study but count on at least one of
them to redeem themselves towards the end.
Though not entirely original, Abominable is still a great film,
stressing the importance of friends and family when dealing with loss, and how
it’s okay to make mistakes along the way. Our heroes are relatable and funny,
and Everest’s powers are a beautiful take on the yeti. The kids will love him.
The Verdict: *** 3 OUT OF 5
Comments
Post a Comment