ABOMINABLE Brings Heart and Music

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman and DreamWorks Animation comes the story of loss, love and friendship with ABOMINABLE.

Yi (Chloe Bennet) is a young girl with big dreams. After the loss of her violinist father, all Yi wants to do is take a special trip on her own. Worried is Grandmother Nai Nai (Tsai Chin) and Mom (Michelle Wong) who notice

that Yi is constantly disappearing all day. Also noticing is young Peng (Albert Tsai) but all he wants is to be a famous basketball player while brother Jin (Tenzing Trainor) is into shoes, perfect hair and social media. All Yi wants

to do is work hard, save money and spend time up on the roof.

What she doesn't expect is to find an injured Yeti in her special place! Figuring out that the helicopters flying over the city are looking for the Yeti, Yi deciphers that he is only wanting to get home. Looking for him is Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard) who plans to showcase the Yeti and Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) who wants to save the species. Peng and Jin discover what Yi has been hiding and alert Burnishs' henchmen starting a chase through the city.

Finding a way out of the city unnoticed, Yi names her new furry friend Everest and is joined by a thrilled Peng and a begrudging Jin. Their journey on foot is long as they make their way to Mt. Everest believed to be his home.

On their way Yi and Jin become reacquainted while Peng and Everest are having the time of their lives. Unfortunately they are being followed by Burnish and Dr. Zara which brings about a made chase.

That doesn't stop Yi, Jin, and Peng from their goal - get to the bridge that leads Everest home!

Bennet as Yi is a young girl trying to fill a space in her life by staying busy and trying to find what will bring her joy again. Playing the violin brings her closer to the father she misses dearly. Finding Everest, although frightening in the beginning, starts to understand and care deeply for his life. Wong as Yi's Mother can feel the distancing and doesn't know how to help her daughter. The winner here is Nai Nai, she is straight forward, has the most hilarious answers and makes awesome looking pork buns (which would make the Kung Fu Panda drool).

Trainor as Jin is a young man who is doing exactly what it seems all young people are doing. Making sure the shoes and hair are perfect and his social media likes are on point. He doesn't have time for his brother and he

pretends not to notice how Yi is behaving. Tsai as Peng is absolutely hilarious! He is forgiving of those who ignore him, he is fun and has big dreams and a perfect playmate for Everest.

Paulson as Dr. Zara is on the run trying to find Everest before he disappears back into the mountains. She has an agenda and won't stop until she gets the Yeti back where she thinks he belongs. Izzard as Burnish was an

explorer in his younger days and finding Everest is the highlight of his life. He isn't about to back down and brings out every piece of technology he has to find the Yeti.

DreamWorks has done it again with ABOMINABLE with a storyline that is charming, characters that are relatable and a Yeti that has a big personality to make his size. Now that being said, I can tell that there is a little bit of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON in here. Everest has Toothless' eyes and charm which is why he is going to be a winner. I don't mind that Everest looks like Toothless because I am a huge fan (check out my desk if you don't believe me and you'll find a few Toothless items)

ABOMINABLE is filled with everyone we have come to love about animated films in the past few years. The story is endearing, the characters are embraceable and, in the case of Everest, huggable with a film full of 'awwwwwww's. The animation is brilliantly colorful and the music, especially the violin piece, is so lovely.

It is a beautiful film filled with themes of family, friendships, loyalty and remembering that doing the right thing means going all in to make that right thing happen. The friendship between Yi and Everest is so meaningful. The friendship between Everest and Peng had me laughing so much and shows everyone the power of fun in a life that seems so serious.

This is the film that deserves a family outing including popcorn, red vines and a bit of a cuddle during the film. It is a family film that reaches every age group and goes straight to the heart and tear ducts. What's more, everyone is going to want an Everest of their own - I wouldn't mind it!

In the end - find your way home!

SMALLFOOT is Total Family Fun

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres from directors Karey Kirkpatrick, Jason Reisig and Warner Bros. is the story high in the clouds about SMALLFOOT.

Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) is a yeti who lives in a village high in the clouds. His father Dorgle (Danny DeVito) has a very important job of helping the sun come up each morning and Migo wants to be just like him.

When the village Stonekeeper (Common) bestows on Migo his own helmet, the training begins. After a few practice runs, he is set across the sky aiming for his gong target when distracted by the lovely Meechee (Zendaya), daughter of the Stonekeeper. Shooting over the mountain, Migo lands in a snowy patch and tangles with an airplane where he sees the mythical Smallfoot!

Running back to the village to tell everyone, Migo is banished by the Stonekeeper until he tells everyone the truth – there are no Smallfoots. Deciding to find one Migo takes off but finds himself followed by Gwangi (LeBron James), Kolka (Gina Rodriguez) and Fleem (Ely Henry).

They take Migo to Meechee who is the head of the S.E.S. (Smallfoot Evidentiary Society). The group believes that all the rules set in stone for the yeti’s are not true, that there has to be something more. Migo still takes it upon himself to find a Smallfoot in the local town and meets Percy (James Corden), a television personality who spends his time discovering new animals but has lately fallen on hard times.

When the pilot of the downed airplane makes it to the town, he tells Percy that he saw a yeti which gives Percy a great idea. Trying to convince Brenda (Yara Shahhidi) to dress up as a yeti, he could get his ratings back and once again be a hit.

But Migo has other plans and after a verbal exchange of sorts, takes Percy to his village. Stunning that the yeti’s are congenial, Percy finds himself making friends and explaining any questions, well sort of, that they might have. Meechee realizes that something is wrong with Percy and that he needs to get off the mountain.

That’s when Migo discovers through the Stonekeeper that some things are better left untold to the people and making Percy go away is the best thing for them all. Not everyone agrees and when the two groups meet – someone has to bend!

Tatum as Migo is adorable and my three-year-old granddaughter is my proof. She was immediately drawn to Migo with his fast talking curious ways and when the singing began – that’s all it took. Laughing, clapping and cheering Migo on became her mission all through the film and it was as delightful as the film to watch. Thanks Channing for making our film experience so entertaining!

Corden as Percy is a fast talking personality who is losing his perspective and, according to Brenda, his integrity. Willing to do anything to bring back the fame he once knew, it takes a group of furry yeti’s to remind him of his humanity and ability to care for someone other than himself.

Zendaya as Meechee is charming and stubborn when it comes to doing what her father the Stonekeeper says. She believes that there is something more to their life and wants to be able to find out what that is. Common as the Stonekeeper is convinced he is doing the right thing by his yeti-people and is equally as stubborn to make sure the village is kept safe. Tatro as brother Thorp does his father’s bidding but does get an eventual wake up call.

DeVito as Dorgle comes from a long line of yeti’s who have made it their life (and flat headed work) to bring in the sunrise and enjoys knowing Migo will someday follow…or will he? Rodriguez as Kolka follows Meechee with no hesitation but is keeping an eye on Migo. James as Gwangi is another follower who believes with or without any proof. Henry as Fleem is the yeti that would drive me nuts always weighting the pros and cons of life until what he’s weighing becomes over rated.

SMALLFOOT is fun, musical and giggly mixed in with lessons of loyalty to both family and friendship no matter how big or small your foot might be. The fun comes in the slap stick comedy of snowy pratfalls and snowballs that I will even admit to enjoying. In a theatre full of children, it is easy to see the delight on their faces.

The music is fun, lighthearted, engaging and, I’m sure, will create a few hits that will be sung by children again and again. While the characters were singing the catchier tunes, the children would stand up and dance a little which always makes the adult laugh and smile.

Giggling is inevitable with this film as its jokes get the adults and the antics get the kids, or maybe it’s the other way around but does it matter? The antics are there and its meant for every age group.

The lessons of friendship and differences are what is wonderful and colorfully done with SMALLFOOT. Whether you are furry or have a small foot, each side saw the other as monsters and that is when the opportunity presents itself to either change that or continue to live in fear. I choose the change!

SMALLFOOT’s animation is colorful, vibrant and stunning which is just icing on the cake of a film, and I saw for myself, that everyone truly, truly enjoyed.

In the end – no every legend is a tall tale!