After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. But to do so, they must stay one step ahead of a wealthy financier and a determined zoologist who want to capture the beast for their own gain.
“Abominable” is an adorable kids movie that runs the gamut of emotions for a gullible society of temperamental youngsters and overzealous scientists. At the film’s opening, a large Yeti escapes from a research facility and runs into a busy city where hiding is an immediate issue. At the other end of the spectrum, a young Asian girl, Yi (Chloe Bennett), seems trapped emotionally, and trying to find her way after the death of her beloved father. While Yi goes about her daily plan of taking on odd jobs so she can have funds to visit faraway places that her father wanted her to see, Dr. Zara (Sara Paulson) and Burnish (Eddie Izzard) who work at the research facility the Yeti escaped from, are trying desperately to capture the yeti which promises to be their financial windfall should they get him back in their hands for all the world to see.
As the plot builds, Yi goes to her quiet place not far from the house where she has created a hideaway where she can play her beloved violin, a prized possession and the greatest reminder of her father. Unbeknownst to her, the Yeti has found her private place to be the only place he could hide to keep from being captured. As luck would have it, the two form a bond and Yi gets a new lease on life while attempting to care for the Yeti who she has affectionately named Everest due to the attraction he has for a billboard sign that reminds him of his true home. The adventure gets into full swing when Yi must let her childhood friend Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainer) and his worrisome cousin Peng (Albert Tsai) in on the secret in order to keep Everest from being captured. When Yi realizes that she must send Everest away on the next thing traveling in the direction of his real home, she makes a last-minute decision to make the journey with him to see to it that he gets there. Jin and Peng become unwilling accomplices and before they realize it, they are at the point of no return. Little do they realize that the evil research team is hot on their trail and they must get creative in finding ways to ditch them. Everest, who becomes more and more personable on their escape route, develops magical powers that help to get them through many tough times and finally gets Everest back home.
Throughout the film, there are many endearing points that forge the relationships between Yi, Jin, and Peng, Burnish and Everest, as well as between Yi, her mother (Michelle Wong) and her grandmother Nai Nai (Tsai Chin). Each learns how to respect and appreciate one other’s differences as well as gaining a deeper appreciation for nature. Dreamworks Animation and director Jill Culton, the first female director of a big-budget computer-animated feature “Open Season,” did an excellent job of making an animated film realistic, combining entertainment with education and incorporating boundless surprises that hold the attention of adults as well as children. While “Abominable” may seem like yet another kids movie filled with heroes and superpowers, it differentiates itself by showing invaluable lessons that come as a result of unselfish respect for nature and a greater sense of purpose for humanity that reduces infighting and alleviates peer pressure on all levels.
In Theaters Friday, September 27th
