SMALLFOOT
US, 2018, 96 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron? James, Danny DeVito?, Gina Rodriguez, Yara Shaidi.
Directed by Carrie Kirkpatrick and Jason Reisig.
Of course, Smallfoot is the opposite of Bigfoot.
There has long been belief in the Abominable Snowman, a Yeti, who lives in the snow and ice of the Himalayas. This is one of his stories! An animation film for younger audiences.
This is an entertaining animation film but with several points of view, especially an allegory of human prejudices, racism and bigotry, the need for mutual understanding and reconciliation.
The early part of the film shows life in the community of the Abominable Snowman – an enjoyable pastiche of paralleling this with familiar human society and interactions. However, there is a certain “primitive� set of beliefs amongst the people. Interestingly, and should we suggest, critically, promulgated by the religious leader of the Yeti, the Stonekeeper (Common), a sacred person, entrusted with stones with commandments on them, holding the people under his control and the teaching of the stones, standing above the people with a look of Moses.
It should be said that the perspective of the filmmakers on the Stonekeeper is extremely critical, visuals of drawings of sacred myths about the creation of the people, the world resting on two giant creatures, which are ridiculed. The stones with their messages carved on them are not to be questioned but, eventually, they, and found to be false, a means of population control. They need to be exposed – and are. (Some of the visuals and thematics relate to the Hebrew tradition, the behaviour of the strict community more like that of a fundamentalist American society.)
The hero of the film is a bit of a dope, and engaging dope (voiced by Channing Tatum), Migo. His father is the Gongringer (catapulted headfirst towards the gong) who signals the shiny snail rising in the east like the sun. Migo is to take over. However, he ventures down through the clouds, something forbidden, and encounters an American television group filming a nature series, led by British Percy (James Corden) who has had theories about the yeti and then encounters Migo, afraid, his voice to shrill to be understood while Migo’s is too loud to make communication. Nevertheless, they begin to communicate and Percy is introduced to a group of rebels who believe in human existence, proving to the group, including the Stonekeeper’s daughter, Meechee (Zenaya).
They try to persuade the Stonekeeper but he reveals art carvings indicating past battles between humans and Yeti. He also dominates Migo, persuading him to lie about what he has seen.
The film certainly picks up pace with the encounter between Migo and Percy and with Percy being taken up the mountain, the reactions of the people, the reactions of the Stonekeeper, Migo being exiled but returning triumphant.
The Stonekeeper’s daughter persuades her father to listen and, finally, the humans are confronted by the Yeti, but, of course, are able to be reconciled. Peace and love all round – and Percy getting a solid television contract!
1. An animation film for a children’s audience? Adults?
2. The style of animation, the mountains, ice and snow, the Yeti village? The contrast with the contemporary town? The television crew?
3. The voice talent and comic characters? Romantic? The musical score?
4. Audience interest in the Abominable Snowman, the possibility of the existence of the Yeti?
5. The Yeti village, the way of life paralleling contemporary life? The Stonekeeper and his control, character? Religious leader, keeper of the stones, the commandments carved on stone, the dress of the Stonekeeper with added stones?
6. The religious background, the myths of creation, of the earth standing on creatures? Forbidden to venture out? The stones, the commandments, their proclamation? The gong, the snail rising like the sun? The carvings on the rocks of the conflict between Yeti and humans?
7. The questioning of the religious orders? Leading to rebellion? Leading to a breaking of the myths?
8. Migo, genial, his life in the village, his father and the catapulting to the gong? His attempts to succeed his father, practice, failure? His attraction to Meechee? His discovery of the humans, his delight, the encounter with Percy, his booming voice, Percy too shrill, learning to communicate? His return to the village and telling everyone about the humans?
9. The humans, Percy, British, his vanity, his television series, Brenda and his working with her, the theories about the Yeti, the Yeti suit? His camera and time? His reaction to Migo, fear, learning to communicate, freezing, in the rug, his misunderstanding some of the customs, his being thawed by roasting over the fire with the apple in his mouth! Encountering Meechee and her group, their theories, rebellion, secret society? The delight in seeing Percy?
10. Migo, his return to the village, his being discredited, disbelieved? The Stonekeeper and his speeches, showing Migo the carvings? Dominating Migo and forcing him to lie to the people, his exiled?
11. Meechee and the group, going to the humans, the revelation of Percy?
12. Meechee persuading her father to listen, his coming down the mountain, the encounter of the humans with the Yeti? The lining up in hostility? The breakthrough in communication, peace and reconciliation? The happy Yeti? Percy and his television program?
