Review | Smallfoot film review: yetis meet humans in animated comedy that questions conventional wisdom
High-concept comedy about seeking the truth despite what everyone tells you will intrigue adults but probably go over the heads of children, who must content themselves with some slapstick
3/5 stars
The thirst for knowledge is pitted against conventional wisdom and belief systems in this high-concept comedy by Warner Animation Group, about a tribe of yetis who struggle to come to terms with the discovery that the mythical creatures they call “smallfoot” (i.e. humans) exist beyond their Himalayan village.
Young yeti Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) is set to take over his father’s duty of waking up the sun each morning by hitting a big gong with his head. But when he accidentally flies past the target and chances upon a human pilot nearby, Migo’s statement about his discovery leads to him being banished by the village elder Stonekeeper (Common).
Encouraged by his friends in the clandestine Smallfoot Evidentiary Society, Migo literally takes the plunge to look for the human race below the clouds. When he befriends Percy (James Corden), a nature-show host struggling for ratings, and takes the smallfoot back home, the story takes a turn to reveal the past encounters of the two species.
While its message about the importance of seeking the truth in the face of conventional wisdom, whether political or religious, may intrigue adult viewers, the challenge to their values faced by its characters will probably fly straight over the heads of children. They will have to make do with some silly slapstick.