The DreamWorks animated film Abominable opens this weekend, telling the story of a girl who sets out on a quest with two neighbors to return a yeti to its home.
Yi is a busy young woman living with her mother andgrandmother in Shanghai, China.
During the day, she makes cash doing odds jobs—taking outtrash, walking pets through the city, and babysitting small children
At night, though, she lays in bed, thinking about how thingsused to be when her father was still alive. Sometimes, she even sneaks up onthe roof to play his old violin.
“She misses her dad,” her grandmother says.
If only Yi had a close friend.
Perhaps amythical hairy creature would help her cope. And that’s exactly what happens.
One night while playing a favorite tune on the roof of herapartment building, Yi sees a huge, white-haired creature hiding in theshadows. It is a …. yeti.
With an armed helicopter chasing this beast, Yi helps ithide, and then bandages its wounds and feeds it.
“I don’t know where you come from, but you sure don’t belonghere,” she tells him.
Can Yi help the yeti find his home before he is captured andkilled by researchers?
The DreamWorks animated film Abominable (PG) opens this weekend, telling the story of a girl whosets out on a quest with two neighbors to return the yeti, named Everest, tohis mountainous home. (You guessed it: He’s from Everest.)
It stars Chloe Bennet (Agentsof S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Yi, Albert Tsai (Coopand Cami Ask the World) as her friend Peng, and Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Liv and Maddie) as another friend,Jin.
Abominable is similar to otherchild-meets-creature-and-learns-lesson movies of the past, including E.T., Pete’s Dragon and Home. Although it may not be asentertaining as those other films, it’s still pretty good, and it’s filled withpositive messages about healing from grief. Moviegoers who have lost a familymember recently will share Yi’s pain.
The yeti—in case you’re not up to speed—is the mythicalcreature that supposedly lives in the snow of the Himalayan Mountains. He’soften called the Abominable Snowman.
In Abominable, Yiand the Yeti have similar needs. They’re each lonely. They’re each running awayfrom something (she from reality; he from the bad guys). And they’re eachlonging for something significant (her—a closer relationship with her family;him—his home in Mt. Everest).
The movie is mostly family friendly, although it does have afew worldview elements that will concern some parents (more on thatbelow).
Warning:minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal/moderate. The movie opens with Everest being chasedby the bad guys. (They had captured him and stored him in a research lab.) Heescapes and then is hit by a car, but survives. Everest growls several times inthe film, but he’s mostly a lovable creature who just wants to play. (He’s ayeti child.) Those bad guys don’t give up and chase Everest throughout the filmwith tranquilizer guns. We see unmanned drones corner Yi and her friends. Thefilm’s ending might frighten sensitive children. (Yi is pushed off a tallbridge and is presumed dead, but survives.)
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. Jin’s popularity among teens girls is a runningjoke. We see him preparing for a date.
CoarseLanguage
None. Two instances of “oh my gosh.” One “you idiot.”
OtherPositive Elements
Yi’s mother and grandmother truly care for her. They’re alsopatient with her when she is frustrated with life.
Other StuffYou Might Want To Know
The grandmother jokes that she only plays basketball “formoney.” Everest the yeti is magical.
Peng and Yi say they learned that the stars are “ancestorswho watch over us.”
Yi, while on her way to Mt. Everest, stops at the LeshanGiant Buddha, a Mt. Rushmore-type sculpture of Maitreya (or the Buddha yet tocome).
Life Lessons
Friendshipis a blessing: Yineeds a friend, and she finds it in Everest and two neighbors.
Arrogance isnot attractive: Yi’sneighbor/friend, Jin, considers himself a lady’s man who dresses like hebelongs in a boy band. He’s also self-centered.
Grief is aprocess: Themovie doesn’t tell us how long Yi has been without her father, but it impliesit’s been several months, if not longer. Yi carries around a picture of herfather in her violin case. She acknowledges she’s stayed busy to suppress thepain—and has yet to stop and cry.
Childrenneed a family:Yes, teens sometimes act embarrassed around parents, but Abominable affirms the necessity of the family structure, includingthat of a mother and father. (Her dad formerly played the violin for her.)
Worldview/Application
First, the good. Abominable,much like Pete’s Dragon, can teachchildren a simple lesson about our world: Science can’t explain everything.“Yetis don’t exist,” Jin tells Yi. But in her world, they do. Similarly, in ourworld, people often reject the existence of God, pointing to (supposedly)scientific evidence. Kids innately know better.
Now, for the problematic. Abominable isn’t as overt in its unbiblical worldview as Moana or Coco, but it’s still there. We learn that Yi’s father longed totake her to the Leshan Giant Buddha statue, and then we see it up close, as shetakes her time exploring it. (“What’s that?” my 11-year-old son asked. “A falseGod,” I told him in a two-second movie explanation.) We also hear Peng say thatstars are “ancestors who watch over us.” Except for that one line, little-to-nothingelse is heard about traditional Chinese religious beliefs.
Everest the yeti is magical, and he is able to controlnature—including the growth of flowers and other plants—simply by closing hiseyes and humming. (His body glows, too.) We are told he “talks to nature.”
If you take the children, then be prepared for a worldviewdiscussion on the ride home.
The film’s message about grief is a good one. Yi learns tocelebrate her father’s memory and to rely on friends and family members forhealing. Of course, the Bible has much more to say on the topic (Psalm 34:18, 2Corinthians 1:3-4) that is worth exploring.
Sponsors
Little Debbie, Luigi’s Italian Ice, Bearpaw, Yogurtland, FAOSchwartz and East West Bank.
What Works
The animation. The scenic landscapes. The education incultural differences. (Grandma cooked dumplings that looked different thananything I’ve eaten.)
What Doesn’t
Everest’s magical powers. Yetis are Jedi-like? (So, that’swhy we never seen one, huh?)
DiscussionQuestions
1. What helped Yi heal emotionally?
2. What does the Bible say about grief and healing? Dopeople heal from grief differently?
3. What was the movie’s message about social media? Aboutarrogance? Was Jin likeable?
4. Is there someone you need to reach out to who isgrieving?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5stars. Family-friendly rating: 4 outof 5 stars.
Abominableis rated PG for some action and mild rude humor.
