Pros: animation; humor; travel around Asia; important themes raised by the writers Cons: predictability of “Yeti” / Abominable
Genre cartoon
Directed by Jill Culton
Starring: Chloe Bennet (Yi), Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Jin), Elbert Tsai (Peng), Joseph Izzo (Everest), Sarah Paulson (Dr. Zara), Eddie Izzard (Burnish Collector), etc.
Studio DreamWorks Animation, Pearl Studio
Year of release 2019
IMDb website
The main character of the cartoon is the girl Yi, who is grieving the death of her father. Unknown to her family, the teenager runs away to the roof of the house in the evenings and plays the violin, which reminds her of her deceased parent. Once up there, she finds a huge furry creature trembling with fear. It cannot speak, but Yi still finds a common language with it and gives it the name Everest, guessing the origin of the stranger. It turns out that he is being hunted by bad people who want to get the yeti into their collection. The girl cannot leave the frightened guest and tries to help him find his way home. On this mission, she is unexpectedly joined by two friends.
The cartoon was the result of a collaboration between DreamWorks Animation and the Chinese company Pearl Studio. Their joint project can safely be called successful and suitable for any audience. In addition, it opens up new geographical horizons – “Yeti” shows real-life places, reproduced using realistic animation. The plot begins in Shanghai, and from there the main characters travel to the picturesque regions of Asia.
As for the production part, representatives of the American studio were largely responsible for it. The production designer was Max Boas, known for his work on the cartoon Kung Fu Panda. The director and scriptwriter was also an American, Jill Culton. She worked on Toy Story and was one of the creators of Shrek.
Apparently, the project was still a little lacking in individuality, which could have appeared taking into account the Asian theme. The story of the development of the characters and the villains pursuing them – all this in general has already been somewhere. As does the entirely predictable climax.
But this does not dispute the fact that the cartoon turned out to be another example of the quality work of DreamWorks Animation. A large number of detailed elements appear in the frame, which equally well convey the atmosphere of neon cities, flower fields and granite rocks. The fur of the Yeti and the hair of the main character are remembered at the level of sensations, as if in a cinema hall you had the opportunity to touch them with your hand (of course, this has already happened, but it’s still amazing).
There’s a lot of humor in “Yeti” without any inappropriate adult references. Screenwriter Jill Culton managed to joke about the craze for smartphones and show the carefree nature that appears in characters cut off from civilization and completely left to nature. Along with funny episodes, Calton carefully touches on the theme of the main character’s emotional trauma. In an effort to protect the wonderful creature, the girl is distracted from her loss and gradually comes to the understanding that her connection with her dad was not lost.
Important moments related to the heroine’s experiences include episodes with violin playing, in which the creators of the cartoon embody inner strength with the help of magical manifestations. By the way, the violin solo played by Yi’s character was performed by violinist Mark Barrow.
The cartoon also features “Fix You,” Coldplay’s most recognizable and proven song, which seems to fit almost any visual. And certainly to adventures with a friendly furry creature looking at the world with blue eyes.
“Yeti” is ideal for family viewing. The cartoon is full of colorful shots, it has a dynamic plot and interesting characters. It unobtrusively conveys the message of how important it is to protect nature, and can make both adults and children laugh.
Conclusion:
The cartoon will captivate both children and adults with its plot. For this and the beautiful animation, one can forgive him for guessing the ending.
