Abominable
Abominable (2019) is an animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio, following a teenage girl named Yi who discovers a young Yeti she names Everest on her apartment building's rooftop in Shanghai. The film centers on Yi, along with her friends Jin and Peng, embarking on an epic journey across China to reunite Everest with his family in the Himalayas, while evading a wealthy collector, Burnish, and a zoologist, Dr. Zara, who are intent on capturing the mythical creature. The movie explores themes of grief, friendship, family, and the wonder of nature, set against beautifully animated landscapes. Targeted at a family audience, the film is generally considered appropriate for school-aged children, offering a heartwarming story with moments of humor and adventure.
Concerns
Violence
MediumThe movie contains frequent animated action and perilous situations, including chases and mild physical confrontations. While not graphic, these scenes can be intense for very young viewers, featuring tranquilizer darts, electric fences, and implied threats of harm.
1. Everest, the yeti, makes a perilous escape from a prison-like building, being chased by security staff with electric zapping poles and is shocked by an electric fence early in the film. 2. Main characters Yi, Jin, and Peng are repeatedly pursued by Burnish and Dr. Zara's team using drones, helicopters, and armored vehicles, with vehicles crashing and one scene depicting Yi being pushed off a bridge.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe film features magical elements through Everest, the yeti, who possesses supernatural abilities to interact with and control nature, such as influencing plants to grow rapidly or conjuring aurora borealis. These powers are portrayed as natural 'gifts' but align with a worldview that some Christian parents might find concerning due to its association with a humanistic Buddhist perspective.
1. Everest demonstrates magical abilities, such as making a field of sunflowers grow to colossal size instantaneously and causing them to sway, to create a path for the group. 2. Everest uses his powers by sitting in a cross-legged pose, humming deeply, and glowing, which allows him to conjure the aurora borealis and influence natural phenomena. This is described as 'Everest talks to nature. That's his gift.'
Scary & Intense Content
MediumThe movie contains several suspenseful and potentially frightening scenes for younger children, including intense chases, moments of peril, and implied threats from the antagonists. These scenes feature loud noises, dark environments, and the clear intent of the villains to capture or harm Everest and the children.
1. Early in the film, Everest is shown escaping a laboratory, pursued by security with electric poles, in a dark and tense sequence with flashing lights, culminating in him being hit by a truck and injured. 2. Dr. Zara explicitly states her intent to sell Everest, mentioning he 'might be chopped up and sold off, piece by piece,' and she later throws Yi off a bridge into a chasm, while Jin and Peng watch in horror.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumYi, the main protagonist, initially displays rebellious behavior due to unaddressed grief over her father's death. She isolates herself from her family and secretly works multiple jobs to fund a trip, indicating a defiance of parental authority and an unwillingness to communicate with her mother and grandmother.
1. Yi is portrayed as withdrawn from her mother and grandmother, secretly saving money from odd jobs for a trip she planned with her deceased father, rather than engaging with her family about her grief or plans. 2. Yi embarks on a heedless trip across China with Everest and her friends, without informing her family about her departure or providing suitable preparations, demonstrating a significant act of defiance and lack of consideration for her guardians.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumWhile not overtly anti-Christian, the film presents a worldview that a Christian perspective might find inconsistent with biblical teachings. It prominently features themes of humanistic Buddhism, particularly through the use of Everest's magical connection to nature and a scene where Yi interacts with a giant Buddha statue, suggesting spiritual healing and peace outside of a Christian context.
1. The film's worldview is described as consistently fitting 'humanist Buddhism,' with Yi finding peace and guidance through her connection with Everest's nature-based magic and a symbolic interaction with a giant Buddha statue, which appears to shed a tear as she uses her gifts. 2. Everest's 'magic powers' for creation, healing, and controlling weather, achieved through a cross-legged pose and deep humming, are presented as spiritual gifts that allow him to 'talk to nature,' which can be seen as promoting a spiritual understanding distinct from Christian tenets.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowThe film does not contain explicit or implied LGBTQ+ themes or characters within its narrative. While a producer and some voice actors identify as LGBTQ+, this is external to the on-screen content of the movie itself. There are no romantic relationships depicted that would suggest LGBTQ+ representation.
No specific LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or themes are present in the movie's plot or dialogue. The story focuses on platonic friendship and familial bonds.
Romance and Sexual Content
LowSexual content in 'Abominable' is minimal to non-existent, focusing instead on themes of friendship and family. There are no explicit sexual acts or graphic nudity. Some very mild romantic implications or humor are present but are not central to the plot.
1. There are brief, non-explicit references to Jin having 'numerous girlfriends,' suggesting heterosexual relationships without any on-screen depiction. 2. Peng is shown doing an 'arm around his back, kissing pose,' in a playful, mimicked manner, pretending to be Jin with a girlfriend, which is not actual romantic interaction.
Profanity
LowThe film contains very limited mild language, with only a few instances of exclamations and no strong curse words. Reviews indicate a conscious effort to keep the dialogue clean and family-friendly.
1. One instance of a 'term of deity' is noted as being used. 2. Mild exclamations such as 'oh my gosh!' and 'twit' are heard occasionally throughout the film.
Substance Use
LowSubstance use is not depicted recreationally. The only instances relate to tranquilizer darts used to subdue Everest, which is a method of capture rather than recreational drug use. No alcohol or illegal drug consumption by characters is shown.
1. Guards from Burnish Industries frequently use tranquilizer darts to try and capture Everest, hitting him multiple times in one scene, causing him to lose consciousness and fall from a bridge. 2. There are no scenes depicting characters smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illicit drugs.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Abominable (2019) is recommended for children aged 6 and older. While rated PG for 'some action and mild rude humor' by the MPAA, several parental reviews suggest that younger children (under 5-6) might find some chase sequences and depictions of animal distress, along with implied threats, too intense or scary.
Additional Notes
The movie carries positive messages about friendship, loyalty, finding healing from grief, and the importance of family and communication. Parents might find the film provides an opportunity to discuss different cultural and spiritual beliefs presented, particularly regarding the magical elements and implied Buddhist themes, and the ways characters cope with loss.
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