One of my stupid claims to fame as a theatrical animation fan is seeing every DreamWorks and Pixar film in theatres for the last 15 years. DreamWorks have a few spectacular highs (especially the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy) but at their worst they can make you as a viewer seem stupider for watching them (I still can’t quite believe I saw Turbo and The Boss Baby in theatres.) how does there second release for 2019 Abominable fair. Compared to the normal onslaught that greets your typical DreamWorks production the advertising seemed very muted (at least in the UK.) If I were to guess it would be because Universal who now owns DreamWorks are more interested in advertising llumination films which have an advertising campaign similar to the iPhone parody episode of Futurama where everyone gets advertising implants in their eyes. I knew it was about a yeti, it was a co-production with the Chinese arm of DreamWorks that got bought out during the film’s production and that Chloe Bennet (as a huge Agents Of Shield fan i’m interested to see where she takes her career now that the final season has wrapped production) was doing the lead voice. I knew very little else. How did the film turn out?
Honestly, it’s a shame the film has just been shoved out into UK cinemas because I actually thought it was on the better end of recent DreamWorks productions that aren’t the Dragon trilogy. Yes it does wear it’s influences on it’s sleeve (ET, the Dragon trilogy and the original Ice Age to name three that I had in mind) but it executes these cliches and beats with a fair amount of conviction. There is a little bit of gross out/ kid pandering humour but the film mostly kept me engaged and amused throughout (even if it’s nothing groundbreaking or hilarious.) It also helps the film is one of the best looking DreamWorks productions (especially when the characters get out the city) with lus and well realised environments that will definitely please those looking at the films more technical aspects. The film is generally a pleasant watch without reinventing the wheel in any way at all. Considering some of the brain rooting sludge DreamWorks have been responsible for in the 2010s films like this are definitely a step in the right direction.
7/10
A Little Bit Of Everything 