Review: Abominable

Release date: September 27, 2019 (USA)
Running time: 97 minutes
Starring: Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor 

In Abominable, a young girl recovering from a family tragedy decides to take on the impossible and help a young, but adorable yeti (named Everest) return to its home.  This task is made all the more difficult due to a high tech, para military organization also wanting to find the yeti; but with less altruistic motivations.  

Since this is the same studio that brought How to Train Your Dragon, you know they can model some strange creatures.  Everest is beautifully animated with some wild hair and otherworldly expressions.  His mannerisms are part puppy, part child, but they will definitely make you smile!  And his sounds are equally impressive, with animal-like sounds that have a strange but lovable hint about them.  His interactions with the rest of the group are really fun to see, as he learns more about them and they learn more about his strange mannerisms and abilities.  

Everest's journey goes throughout China, with all the diverse locales that come with it.  From neon cities, to idyllic countrysides, beaches, a vast dessert, and a snowy mountain, the areas visited in this film are picturesque and breathtakingly done.  And Everest's companions during this trip are all quite different and fun to get to know.  Each has a different motivation for helping out; but they come together as a cohesive unit.  I was definitely smiling at this unlikely band's antics during much of the film.  However, some of the antagonists have paper thin motivations and absurd character changes to move the plot along.  But don't let those minor complaints detract from this new Dreamworks classic.

Abominable is a beautifully animated journey with a fun cast including a lovable otherworldly creature.  The movie has a some breathtaking animation, a funny characters, and a ton of heart.

Watch it