Review of Abominable (2019) by Jumpcut_Online — 20 Oct 2019

Pretty much the only negative thing I can say about Abominable is that what should have been one of the most beautiful sequences is unfortunately paired with Coldplay’s extremely over-used Fix You. The violin-based score is sumptuous enough, without needing variations on tired pop songs slapped onto the soundtrack.

This film is a great tourist film for China, showcasing some of its most well-known landmarks across the two and a half thousand mile journey (which they seem to mostly walk…?). There are some pretty heavy themes, from the fairly common zoological concerns (which also cropped in The Missing Link) of just leaving animals and creatures where they are instead of hunting or collecting them.

But also the theme of Yi’s grief getting in the way of her appreciating the family that she has left and living her life to the fullest. As with all great animations, this means that the film can be enjoyed on multiple levels, by all members of the family.

Here is hoping that this original story gains an audience and is a success, as there are several factors that could have encouraging knock-on effects if it does well at the box office. It’s not part of a franchise or the Disney behemoth, it has non-Western characters and setting and is written and directed by a woman.

Abominable really deserves to be seen on a big screen, as it is just dazzlingly radiant to look at. Everest should become a beloved creation, very much in the vein of Toothless and the film has a funny and entertaining voice cast (particularly Izzard and Paulson).

The family and the friendships at the centre of the story feel real and relatable, as fantastical elements only work if they swirl around something grounded in humanity. Abominable achieves this balance with some finely-tuned skill and as it is a rare animation that doesn’t have a huge team of writers, kudos must go to Culton.