Film Review: "Abominable" (2019).

"Find your way home" in Abominable. This computer-animated adventure film co-directed by Jill Culton and Todd Wilderman, written by Culton, and produced by DreamWorks Animation. When teenage Yi encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, she and her friends, Jin and Peng, name him "Everest" and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish, a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara to help Everest get home.

Since 2010, the film was in development at DreamWorks Animation under the title Everest with Culton penning the script and set to direct. However, by December 2016, she had left the project, and was replaced with Tim Johnson and Todd Wilderman. In addition, the film was set with a September 27, 2019 release date. In early February 2018, Culton had returned as director after Johnson and Wilderman left due to creative differences. By June, Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin, Michelle Wong, and James Hong were cast.

The film features the voice talents of Bennet, Tsai, Norgay Trainor, Izzard, Paulson, Chin, Wong, and Hong. Though not the finest characterisations to grace the screens, it is still effective nonetheless thanks to the performances given the talented cast.

Another beautifully solid animated effort from DreamWorks, Abominable is a visual treat with lots of humour, plenty of heart, and even a little food for thought. The film offers a colourful distraction that should keep younger viewers entertained - and a story whose message might even resonate with older audiences. Sooner or later, DreamWorks was bound to branch out, which makes this funnier, more colourful film the link previously missing between the company's poppy-styled past and whatever comes next. The film is a charming family-friendly story about adventure and friendship — told with bar-raising artistic craft and technical skill. We'd expect nothing less from DreamWorks. Though the pieces were all there, but I would have preferred to watch the making of the film than the actual film. The film will also provoke controversy, especially from its depiction of Tibetan culture. Depending on one's viewpoint, the film can either be surprisingly faithful or dead wrong. Amid the noisy, epic action of most kid-oriented features, this film's story is clear and effective: a sweet-hearted narrative of how friendship can broaden one's horizons. The film does not lay an egg by any means. It is visually stunning, with well-realized characters and humor that really does work. If only the other elements of the film were as strong as the visuals, we'd have a masterpiece on our hands. What really makes the film is the delightful stop-motion animation by DreamWorks which adds a great deal to characters and action sequences alike. This shows that for DreamWorks the film represents a setback in terms of plot, but ends up being saved by its creative and attractive animation. 

Simon says Abominable receives:

Also, see my review for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.