Year: 2018
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick and Jason Reisig
Starring: Channing Tatum, Zendaya, James Corden, Common, LeBron James, and Danny DeVito
Starring: Channing Tatum, Zendaya, James Corden, Common, LeBron James, and Danny DeVito
Tagline: Not every legend is a tall tale.
Synopsis: After he is banished from the yeti village, Migo sets out to prove that the mythical "smallfoot" (i.e., humans) exist.
Synopsis: After he is banished from the yeti village, Migo sets out to prove that the mythical "smallfoot" (i.e., humans) exist.
Review
It's not often that I have such mixed feelings about a movie. But they are certainly mixed for Smallfoot. Let's start with the good stuff.
Going into the movie, I had no idea it was a musical. That was not part of the trailers I'd seen. And yet suddenly Channing Tatum's yeti, Migo, starts singing about a perfect day. Surprisingly, Channing Tatum has a pretty good voice. There aren't a lot of songs on the soundtrack, but they were all better than I would have expected from a film that didn't label itself a musical. The best of the bunch (which should definitely receive an Oscar nod) is "Wonderful Life," sung by Zendaya's yeti, Meechee. For me, that sequence was the highlight of the film.
The story is clever and overall well told. It is fairly predictable, but has its fun moments. Reversing the "bigfoot" myth is fun. And the film certainly tries to have some big ideas and depth to it.
Smallfoot is also pretty funny. There were some excellent moments that had a Looney Tunes type feel (think poor Wile E. Coyote). And I quite enjoyed the "gibberish" that the yetis perceived the humans as speaking (whereas the humans perceive only growls from the yetis). There were quite a few times where I chuckled during the movie. And there were moments when kids in the theater were laughing out loud.
While there's nothing outstanding about the animation, it is bright and colorful and certainly never detracts from the story.
As for the characters, they are all likable enough (well, except Fleem, who is supposed to be annoying ... I think). But they are also rather bland. None of the characters were particularly memorable. They were just stock characters who happened to be yetis. The character I liked best was actually Percy, the human. He had enough substance to him and even got a decent little character arc.
So, why the mixed feelings? That has to do with the film's theme and message, which is a double-edged sword. On the one side, the story is about being curious, asking questions, and seeking truth. All of which are good. On the other side, however, the film has a decidedly anti-religious bias to it. The start of the film makes that especially clear as it talks about "laws written on stones" and "creation stories." The film seems to equate religion with blind faith and obedience, which is what the yetis live with at the start.
But religion and questions are not diametrically opposed, as the film strongly suggests. Seeking truth and having faith can go hand in hand. Indeed, my own religion was founded because a young man (Joseph Smith) had questions and sought for the truth. And the truth he found changed the way millions the world over see the world and the purpose of life. And the Book of Mormon -- which he translated -- doesn't tell people to blindly follow arbitrary rules. It specifically directs readers to ask and know for themselves. True religion is not about protecting people from the truth or the harsh realities of life. And while commandments and religious rules/laws are there for our protection, it is not in the way the film portrays.
That said, I'm not saying the film is bad. I don't know how overt that anti-religion message was meant to be. I think it detracts from the story, but doesn't ruin it. Rather, it invites discussion. I'm not a parent, but it seems like this is a film that it is fine for children to see, so long as it is with their parents who then are willing to have a discussion about the subject matter. And I figure that's a good thing, because kids are going to be exposed to these ideas anyway. That's just the secular world we live in.
If you need a family film to see before the holiday season kicks in, you could do far worse than Smallfoot. It's colorful, has good music, and mostly has a good message. It can certainly lead to some family discussions.
*** Spoiler Section ***
How come the yeti don't seem to have noses? And how does their machine produce that much of a cloud cover? Also, what's up with the screaming goat?
Going into the movie, I had no idea it was a musical. That was not part of the trailers I'd seen. And yet suddenly Channing Tatum's yeti, Migo, starts singing about a perfect day. Surprisingly, Channing Tatum has a pretty good voice. There aren't a lot of songs on the soundtrack, but they were all better than I would have expected from a film that didn't label itself a musical. The best of the bunch (which should definitely receive an Oscar nod) is "Wonderful Life," sung by Zendaya's yeti, Meechee. For me, that sequence was the highlight of the film.
The story is clever and overall well told. It is fairly predictable, but has its fun moments. Reversing the "bigfoot" myth is fun. And the film certainly tries to have some big ideas and depth to it.
Smallfoot is also pretty funny. There were some excellent moments that had a Looney Tunes type feel (think poor Wile E. Coyote). And I quite enjoyed the "gibberish" that the yetis perceived the humans as speaking (whereas the humans perceive only growls from the yetis). There were quite a few times where I chuckled during the movie. And there were moments when kids in the theater were laughing out loud.
While there's nothing outstanding about the animation, it is bright and colorful and certainly never detracts from the story.
As for the characters, they are all likable enough (well, except Fleem, who is supposed to be annoying ... I think). But they are also rather bland. None of the characters were particularly memorable. They were just stock characters who happened to be yetis. The character I liked best was actually Percy, the human. He had enough substance to him and even got a decent little character arc.
So, why the mixed feelings? That has to do with the film's theme and message, which is a double-edged sword. On the one side, the story is about being curious, asking questions, and seeking truth. All of which are good. On the other side, however, the film has a decidedly anti-religious bias to it. The start of the film makes that especially clear as it talks about "laws written on stones" and "creation stories." The film seems to equate religion with blind faith and obedience, which is what the yetis live with at the start.
But religion and questions are not diametrically opposed, as the film strongly suggests. Seeking truth and having faith can go hand in hand. Indeed, my own religion was founded because a young man (Joseph Smith) had questions and sought for the truth. And the truth he found changed the way millions the world over see the world and the purpose of life. And the Book of Mormon -- which he translated -- doesn't tell people to blindly follow arbitrary rules. It specifically directs readers to ask and know for themselves. True religion is not about protecting people from the truth or the harsh realities of life. And while commandments and religious rules/laws are there for our protection, it is not in the way the film portrays.
That said, I'm not saying the film is bad. I don't know how overt that anti-religion message was meant to be. I think it detracts from the story, but doesn't ruin it. Rather, it invites discussion. I'm not a parent, but it seems like this is a film that it is fine for children to see, so long as it is with their parents who then are willing to have a discussion about the subject matter. And I figure that's a good thing, because kids are going to be exposed to these ideas anyway. That's just the secular world we live in.
If you need a family film to see before the holiday season kicks in, you could do far worse than Smallfoot. It's colorful, has good music, and mostly has a good message. It can certainly lead to some family discussions.
*** Spoiler Section ***
How come the yeti don't seem to have noses? And how does their machine produce that much of a cloud cover? Also, what's up with the screaming goat?
Quotable Quotes
- "A life that's full of wonder is a wonderful life." -- Meechee
- "You want to save a species on the verge of extinction? Save me!" -- Percy to Brenda
- "Am I missing a tooth?" -- Percy
ISFS
No comments:
Post a Comment