‘Abominable’ movie review: DreamWorks' latest is a touching tale of friendship that showcases Chinese culture and reminds us that representation matters
Chloe Bennet stars as a young girl who travels across China to reunite a magical yeti with his family on Mount Everest
More than just an animated adventure, Abominable is a story about grief, family and friendship.
Set in a Shanghai-like city, Abominable stars a teenager named Yi, who recently lost her father. The pair had been planning a trip across China together, but weren’t able to take it.
One day, Yi finds a yeti on the roof of her flat and, together with Peng, her basketball-obsessed neighbour, and his cousin Jin, who cares more about his image and taking the best selfie, they embark on a quest to return the creature to his home on Mount Everest.
The animation is gorgeous; there’s one scene in particular, where Yi plays her violin on a cliffside and flowers grow around her as she plays, that’s particularly breathtaking. You also you get to see some beautiful Chinese scenery, including the Yangtze River and the Gobi desert.
Furthermore, the film touches beautifully on a particularly difficult topic for an animated film to cover: how grief affects a child. We see this in the way that Yi cherishes her father’s violin, and is unable to connect with her family because it no longer feels whole.
It’s also cool to see many elements of Chinese culture on screen, from Yi’s grandmother’s char siu bao, to the bamboo scaffolding on the side of her building. Abominable is definitely a worthwhile watch – but you might want to bring some tissues.