Animation is something that creates endless possibilities for the movie industry. It allows people to to project almost anything you can imagine onto a screen for others to share with you. Dreamwork’s most recent animated feature film is Abominable, and it has everything an animated movie should. It has important themes expressed by heart-warming moments, really interesting characters, some looks into Chinese culture, and most apparent in this movie, extremely gorgeous animation. Although this movie does have a weak villain, it also has a really cute Yeti, so yes, it’s a pretty good movie.

  Abominable’s themes included loss, family, broken friendships, and even preservation of endangered species, and they are expressed by the experiences of the amazing characters. The main character, Yi, has lost a family member, and the way she deals with this is beautiful but it feels genuine. She keeps it all inside and tries to keep herself busy. Her mom and grandmother don’t seem to understand why she’s never home, so Yi doesn’t have anyone to talk to. It causes her to be antisocial, which is heartbreaking yet so important. This also relates to the theme of family and being distant from them. Yi doesn’t even eat meals with her family. We also get the other two main characters, Jin, who used to be Yi’s close friend, and Peng, Jin’s cousin, who is kind of comic relief but  Jin has become the popular boy who gets all the girls and Yi has become the opposite. Seeing them bicker and insult each other over what separated them relate back to what other consequences losing a family member might have. A surprising theme this movie showcased was the preservation of endangered species, which is in this case, Yetis. The main story revolves around Yi, Jin, and Peng going from China to Mount Everest to return a Yeti, who they name Everest, to his home. Everest escaped from a group of poachers? It’s kind of unclear what the villains are but just know that they captured Everest and wanted to reveal that Yetis are real. Anyway, it’s a big deal in this movie that Everest is a magnificent creature who has a family. Protecting him is super important to Yi and company. Overall, the themes of Abominable were executed seamlessly and were actually relevant to many issues today.

  The main reason this movie is unique is it’s beautiful animation. Every shot is so fun to look at, from a bright city in the night to a bright field with vibrant colors. This is all amplified by Everest’s power to talk to nature. The Yeti manipulates the elements and the results are stunning. Without spoiling anything, the scale of his powers get pretty crazy. There is a certain blueberry scene that is animated with angles that are just hilarious. A cherry blossom tree sequence was one of the most peaceful and beautiful scenes in animation. Everything feels real and the details are just phenomenal. Everest himself is animated to be very, very adorable and the viewer can’t help but want to cuddle the Yeti. The animation was also a really cool way to put Chinese culture at the forefront. From the food to family systems to statues of important figures. So if there’s one reason to watch Abominable, it’s definitely the imaginative, gorgeous, and inspiring environments and portrayals of nature.

 One thing this movie doesn’t do very well, and many animated movies don’t do well, is having a compelling villain. Many animated movies think having a villain twist automatically makes the villain interesting, but it really doesn’t. It usually just comes out of nowhere and gives little time to explain the actual villain’s motives. This movie sadly suffers from this problem. We don’t get any backstory or background information on why the villain is doing what they’re doing. Thankfully the adventure of our main characters is definitely the main focus of Abominable, but there is some wasted time with a weak villain.

  Overall, Abominable is a really fun time at the movies. When you aren’t watching a super cute Yeti hug lovable characters, you’re watching nature being gorgeous or Chinese culture being showcased. Beautiful themes ever-present, Abominable is hardly something to ignore. Everyone can learn something from it, whether it’s the topics of loss, family, friendship, or saving endangered species. While a weak villain may waste some time, this film’s pros can’t be ignored. It’s a unique, imaginative movie that is extremely enjoyable and has something for everyone.

8/10