The trailer is so very good, why am I disappointed? The songs are nice, but not “singing-as-you-leave-the-theater” nice. The characters are cute, but not memorable. The history of the Yeti and the Smallfoot has a ring of truth, but I am not sure I would want to explain it to a five year old. Still, the message it delivers is very worthwhile. Youngsters will like this movie, but adults will feel it just misses the mark. Overall, a nice try but not Disney caliber. I give this movie 3.5 Gavels and it receives a 73% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Plot
Migo is quite happy following the rules of the stones. One stone clearly tells the Yeti that there is no such thing as a Smallfoot. One day, Migo briefly stumbles across a Smallfoot, but no one believes him. Stonekeeper banishes him from the village. The Smallfoot Evidentiary Society intercepts Migo and convinces him to go after the Smallfoot. To do so means that the stones might be wrong, and the stones are never wrong. To further complicate matters, the leader of the SES is Meechee, Stonekeeper’s daughter.
Actors
Channing Tatum voices Migo, and James Corden voices Percy the Smallfoot. Clearly, they are having fun with their roles. Zendaya is Meechee, the curious one, certain her father should listen more. Common is Stonekeeper with a voice that reminds of Samuel L. Jackson. LeBron James is Gwangi, appropriately a very big Yeti. Danny Devito is delightful as Migo’s father. Don’t miss Patricia Heaton as a mad Mama Bear awakened by Migo and Percy.
Final Thoughts
Why do the Yeti hide from us? How do the Yeti hide from us? Where do the Yeti hide from us? All will be answered. The song Let It Lie by Common fills in the details. Smallfoot cost $80 million and is set to make $25-$30 million this weekend. With perhaps 20 children in the audience, there were lots of giggles. But, there were even more giggles for a trailer of How To Train Your Dragon 3, out in 2019. In case the kids want more Smallfoot, Chuck E. Cheese is running a promotion for the movie. They are only young once. My recommendation is to take the kids but it’s iffy for adults. The small feet don’t quite fill those big Yeti shoes.
