A far off mystical mountain-side area is the home to a village of yetis who live by the rules of the Stonekeeper (Common) – a yeti who obtains ancient rocks that supposedly hold the rulings of the world. Among them is Migo (Tatum), an incredibly charismatic yeti who lives peacefully with his various friends and his father. When Migo encounters a human being (known to the yetis as a ‘smallfoot’) one day on a cliffside, he attempts to prove to his peers that what he saw was not in his imagination. Unfortunately, the sacred stones discount the existence of such things, and Migo is promptly banished from his community as a result. Now, Migo must set out on a journey to prove that the ‘smallfoot’ is real once and for all.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Smallfoot is its animation; Kirkpatrick & Reisig’s team obviously spent countless hours making sure every last detail was as perfect and beautiful as it could possibly be. This film’s message also impresses, as it teaches children (and adults for that matter) the importance of treating our environment with respect and care.
Unfortunately, the movie does suffer from pacing issues. Smallfoot clocks in at ninety-six minutes but seems considerably longer, with a couple of scenes here and there feeling dragged out. A lot of the musical numbers feel out of place as well; it’s always jarring to see our lead characters suddenly start singing and the narrative would have been more effective without them. It’s saddening too that a large portion of the humour only results in surface level comedy.
Despite these flaws, Smallfoot remains a gorgeously animated, light-hearted family feature with a touching message at its core.
SMALLFOOT / DIRECTOR: KAREY KIRKPATRICK, JASON REISIG / SCREENPLAY: KAREY KIRKPATRIC, CLARE SERA / STARRING: CHANNING TATUM, JAMES CORDEN, ZANDAYA, COMMON, DANNY DEVITO, LEBRON JAMES, GINA RODRIGUEZ / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 12TH
