acid reflects

Contrary to its title, #Abominable is a charming albeit generic return-the-animal-to-its-family adventure set against the backdrop of China’s lush and colorful landscapes (and Beijing cityscape.)

Yi (Chloe Bennet) finds a wounded Yeti (voiced by Joseph Izzo) on her family’s rooftop and decides to take it back to its home while protecting it from shady pursuers led by scientist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson, who is everywhere these days.) Her young neighbor Peng (Albert Tsai) and his older cousin Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) accompany Yi and Yeti.

The story is unremarkable apart from its use of music and/or sound as a philosophical and magical force that binds nature together. Some humor sprinkled every now and then.

The animation is pretty unremarkable too – we’ve seen hair and skin textures that move as good as these, lighting could have had better consistency, and the environment, if not for the Chinese elements, doesn’t look far from what we’ve seen before (Pixar’s Bao included.) Music is okay, the Coldplay music video moments work fine.

The design on Yeti looks like it’s ready to be a plush on your sofa or bed anytime. It’s that cute, it’s mostly safe. This is the first product from what is essentially DreamWorks China, now known as Pearl Studios. The studio can push for this in the Academy’s animation category but I can’t see it even getting a nomination. However, Abominable is already of such quality that the studio eventually might produce one that’s Awards-calibre technically and story-wise.

Generally an enjoyable tour of Chinese attractions and standard family-friendly material IF NOT FOR ONE SPECIFIC DETAIL THAT I AS A FILIPINO COULD NOT IGNORE. One can almost assume that Abominable is Beijing’s most accessible propaganda film to assert its territorial claims, Himalayas and Scarborough Shoal included – because, yes, the Arbitral Tribunal-denied Nine Dash Lines make an appearance in the movie not once but a couple of times. Annoying as that may sound, it reassures me to think that the abominable Lines appropriately appear in a fictional Chinese fantasy. Your lines are not in our maps, Mao.

#AbominableMoviePH opens today October 2 in theaters.

Trailer here: https://youtu.be/FxVuhbmUJIo

Images and trailer link from DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studios

Directed by Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman
Based on cryptozoological myth
Rated G