After taking an extended break, Dreamworks Animation returned strong earlier this year, concluding their How to Train Your Dragon saga. Such was a big film that the studio was hopeful for, given the company's string of unfortunate underperformers in recent memory, and now being under Universal ownership, and supervision by Illumination's Chris Meledandri. After that film performed so well, I'm sure the studio hoped that their follow-up, Abominable, would be able to as well.
I mean, it didn't... but it's the thought that counts.
At first glance, it's very easy to admire Abominable, if only from some superficial viewpoints. While often inconsistent with the quality of their craft, Dreamworks' animation department have almost always been a reliable master of their craft. With so much of the film revolving around a quest to the Himalayas, the vivid landscapes matched with the striking Chinese iconography afford the animators a well of potential, all of which they firmly seize ahold of. Abominable is a massive, breathtaking film to observe, a colorful cascade of rich texture, especially owed to the expressive body language of the characters, that instantly endear us to them.
That kind of effort particularly pays off in the budding friendship between main character Yi, voiced by Chloe Bennet, and adolescent Yeti named Everest. There is a deliberate attempt to ape the dynamic of Hiccup and Toothless of the Dragon films, especially given the similar progression of trust that the two must trek to build that bond, but it's a dynamic that pays off well enough. Yi is a very charming protagonist, perhaps the closest the film gets to a fully realized character, that through each new discovery around the corner, and each little revelation of her character, makes her a progressively appealing lead, even if some of those routes are on well-trodden ground. Everest is no Toothless, but he succeeds at being the cute, lovable main draw he is, continuing Dreamworks' string of excellent silent characters. It's hard not to be won over by his innocence and playful spirit, quite a few times making my heart melt purely through his expressions, and matched with Yi, that budding bond makes for a strong anchor to the film.
The problem is... you've already seen this movie dozens of times. If you've seen any number of "kid and their strange pet" movie (heck, if you've seen this year's Missing Link from Laika), then you already know the general plot of Abominable. There's very little room for actual surprise through this movie, at times content to merely affirm status quo, rather than aim for truly compelling targets. Topics like the tragic death of Yi's father, the delicate balance humans share with nature, and more are addressed, but are merely rendered footnotes, because the film is so preoccupied with the derivative story. There's certainly heart and humor to fuel the film, which keeps it afloat nicely enough, as well as the generally charming, if not spectacular voice overs (Sarah Paulson, doing a better British accent than her American Horror Story one, seems to really enjoy chewing the scenery).
Aside from that, Abominable is just a wholly adequate movie, and nothing more than that. As a nice diversion, it's entertaining and should hold your attention. But Dreamworks can do so much better than that. They've already done better than that just this year, and while Abominable may be cute enough, there's little to it that's even worth remembering.
*** / *****
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