Illumination is the only real competition for the juggernaut that is Disney nowadays, but once upon a time, DreamWorks was locked in a bitter rivalry with the animation giant. When they’re not shamelessly borrowing ideas from Disney or bogging themselves down with uninspired sequels, DreamWorks occasionally release films that are both original and exciting; they’re a different kind of flavor from the usual animated fluff we see.
Abominable is a mix of Disney influence and DreamWorks’ unique brand and style, and it works to great effect. The film has a beautiful sense of wonder and magic to it, leading to a couple of brilliantly animated sequences that, when paired with solid direction from writer and director Jill Culton (who helmed Sony’s Open Season and helped write Pixar’s Monsters Inc.), succeed in capturing the imagination of children and even the most bitter of adults.
Abominable takes place in China, where a young Yeti (Joseph Izzo) is being held captive in a secret facility. He breaks out and wanders through the city, scared and alone, until he ends up hiding on the rooftop of a girl named Yi (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Chloe Bennet). Yi lives with her mother (Michelle Wong) and Nai Nai (Tsai Chin), but the two older women hardly ever see her. The teen keeps herself busy working a myriad of odd jobs throughout town in the hopes of saving enough money to take a sightseeing trip through China.
But Yi has other reasons for staying as busy as possible – her father recently passed away, and she’s seemingly refusing to deal with it. Yi claims that she hasn’t even had time to cry with her hectic schedule in the way, a schedule that she puts on herself. She also plays the violin (a gift from her father), but where she once used to love playing for her family and friends, she now only practices in secret, going so far as to tell her mother that she sold the instrument. The death of Yi’s father, and her inability to process her own grief, is a major factor of Abominable’s story, and it’s an interesting angle for a family movie.
Dead parents are certainly nothing new for the realm of animation, but it rarely ever serves as the motivation for the main character. In Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time, we see Elsa and Anna’s parents meet an untimely demise, but this incident does little to influence the sisters and their journeys other than setting the stage for them to be on their own; the two never even talk about it. Yi doesn’t understand her complicated feelings about her father’s passing, and, in one particularly great scene in a bamboo forest, vents her frustration with herself and her lack of tears and emotions about it. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve, a lesson that the film teaches with surprising nuance.
When Yi stumbles upon the adolescent Yeti, who she names Everest, she quickly realizes that the creature needs help, and sets off on an adventure to get him home safely. Accompanying her on the quest is Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor), an old childhood friend and a self-obsessed, social media dependent “cool” guy, and his little brother, Peng (Albert Tsai), a hyperactive kid who loves basketball. The four of them have a long journey ahead of them – the Himalayas are far away, and on their trail are Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson), a scientist who wishes to capture and study the Yeti, and her employer, Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a rich collector of exotic animals.
Before I continue singing its praises, there are a few elements of Abominable that I feel hold it back from true greatness. The story, children helping a mythical creature find its way back home, is a pretty generic one, and it makes the film’s script feel a bit dull and predictable. The villains, too, are uninteresting (what a waste of Sarah Paulson), and the character designs for both them and the trio of children are bland and forgettable. There’s a random twist that takes place halfway through the film that doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than to try to surprise audiences (remember when Disney was able to do this in all of their films for a few years?), and it ultimately comes across as extremely unnecessary.
Some of the jokes are low-hanging fruit and fall flat, but others, such as a segment where Jin is separated from the group and has to rough it through the wilderness on his own, are inspired and downright hilarious. Jin, who at first seems to be an incredibly one-dimensional character, becomes a highlight of the movie, and it’s refreshing to see his relationship with Yi is one of friendship rather than romance, something that could’ve easily happened. Peng and his voice cracks and constant laughter might grate on some people’s nerves, but he has plenty of charm and his physical comedy antics with Everest remained a constant hit with the children in my audience. What Abominable lacks in story and character design it more than makes up for with stunning scenery and likeable characters.
Eastern influences are obvious throughout the film, and the imagery of Chinese countrysides, mountains, and deserts are stunning both in their art direction and in how different they look from other animated films. The animation itself at first looks a little cheap and under-detailed, but as the film progresses and it gives you scenes such as giant blueberries flying through the air, a lightning storm in the snowy mountains, or a field of flowers turning into a wave-filled ocean, it becomes obvious where the money was spent. These are breathtaking sequences, ones that put even some of the most memorable Disney ones to shame. It’s a wonderful reminder that beautiful animation work doesn’t solely come from the House of Mouse.
Abominable doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, certainly not in its storytelling, but its characters, setting, and cultural influences all help it stand out. There’s a real feeling of magic to the movie, not just because Everest is literally magic, but because there’s something truly special within this fun-filled adventure. I believe that the secret ingredient is this film’s heart – it’s so unabashedly sweet that you can’t help but love it. It’s a nice change of pace from DreamWorks’ usual air of dry, sarcastic meanness that they became known for. That kind of humor just wouldn’t work for this movie; its saccharine atmosphere is very welcome, and while it may not walk away as one of the animation studio’s best, it’s certainly one of their better ones.
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