Smallfoot
Zeenia Baria, TNN, September 28, 2018, 3:52 p.m. IST
Rating of the critic:
3.5 / 5
History: A determined Yeti takes a journey as he explores the world beyond his small town to show his community that humans exist.
Review: Adapted from the book of Yeti Tracks by Sergio Pablos, Smallfoot explores the world of the Yetis, often referred to as mythical creatures due to the ambiguity surrounding their existence. In the film, the Yeti community leads a protected life, located on top of a snowy mountain, above the clouds in the Himalayas. Migo (voiceover of Channing Tatum) is a carefree Yeti, who is happy to follow in the footsteps of his father Dorgle (voiceover Danny DeVito) to become the future gong singer of the town. One day, he accidentally meets a human and is surprised to discover that there really is a 'little foot'. The news is greeted with skepticism and disbelief by the tribal leader, Stonekeeper (voice-over, Common), who expels Migo from the village. The rest of the film follows the journey of the gentle giant as he searches for the undecipherable little boy and the adventures he suffers when he discovers humans and their way of life.
The unlikely friendship between Migo and the human Percy (the voice-over of James Corden) is comforting as both come to an agreement with the peculiarities and characteristics of the other and discover the meaning of true friendship. Director Karey Kirkpatrick has also given enough screen space to the supporting characters: Migo's support friends, Meechee (voiceover Zendaya), Fleem (voiceover Ely Henry) and Gwangi (LeBron James), who have some of the funniest lines of the movie.
The animation is delicious without exaggeration and the creators give two messages to the children, the main audience of the film, that if you persevere and decide something, you can achieve it no matter how many obstacles you find. And no matter what happened in the past, humans can coexist with other species if they really want it. It also asks a question whether being happily unconscious is a blessing or doom. With catchy songs and fun moments, the movie is nice, although the duration is a bit tedious towards the end. The script is quite simple and will keep children entertained, although they may not find many adults.
