Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
A Yeti has escaped from a secret lab and is hiding on a rooftop in Shanghai. One evening, he encounters Yi (Chloe Bennet), a young girl trying desperately to make enough money to go on the vacations her dad always promised her they would take. When it becomes clear that the Yeti is in trouble, Yi and two friends set out on an adventure to bring him home to Mount Everest.
In a year of stellar animated films, Abominable stands out as one of the best. It tells a predictable story, but does so in a way that is heartwarming, charming and genuinely moving. The animation is splendid and the imagination on display here is magical, both figuratively and literally. It has the familiar goofy beats that kids will eat up, but still manages to be really funny for adults as well. It goes surprisingly deeper than most animated films with its focus on family and cultural elements (a major portion of the delightful Cast is voiced by Asian-Americans), and feels all the stronger for it. There are some darker ideas at play in Abominable that I wish were explored better, but the Film seems to deliberately pivot away from them just as quickly as they are introduced. Nonetheless, I was smiling and laughing (and yes, crying) the entire time.
ABOMINABLE screens during TIFF at the following times:
Saturday September 7, 3:00pm @ Roy Thomson Hall [World Premiere]
Sunday September 8, 10:30am @ Winter Garden Theatre
Saturday September 14, 12:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see TIFF ’19 selection, ABOMINABLE!
Screenings take place Saturday, September 21, 2019 in:
TORONTO // Cineplex Yonge & Dundas @ 10:00AM
MONTREAL // Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal @ 10:00AM
VANCOUVER // Cineplex Odeon International Village @ 10:30AM
Synopsis:
When teenage Yi (Chloe Bennet, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building in Shanghai, she and her mischievous friends, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai), name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth.
But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to help Everest get home.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!
ABOMINABLE is in theatres Friday, September 27, 2019.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
Bell Media rolled out the Red Carpet and took over Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in a big way, welcoming seventy eight Stars to preview their forthcoming 2014 Fall/2015 Mid-Season Lineup.
Balancing Canadian content with some major renewals – like a third season of Saving Hope and second seasons of Bitten and Spun Out – a focus also is placed on several of its new and proven American titles, CTV (and CTV 2!) – Canada’s number one Network for 13 consecutive years – looks to take a chance on some high-profile new releases.
New major Titles seeing a release in the forthcoming Fall and Mid-Season include:
GOTHAM
THE MILLERS
THE MCCARTHYS
SECRETS AND LIES
THE ODD COUPLE
MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER
AMERICAN CRIME
CSI: CYBER
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
RESURRECTION
SUNDAY NFL
THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA
FOREVER
BUZZYS
THE FLASH
Among the several Stars walking the Red Carpet today were Beau Bridges (The Millers), Judd Hirsch (Forever), Alana De La Garza (Forever), Ben McKenzie (Gotham), Donal Logue (Gotham), Robin Taylor (Gotham), Anthony Lemke (19-2), Tyler Ritter (The McCarthys), Kelen Coleman (The McCarthys), Jimmy Dunn (The McCarthys), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Alfie Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder), Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder), Caitlin Gerard (American Crime), Elvis Nolasco (American Crime), Jack Falahee (How to Get Away with Murder), Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away with Murder), Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds), William Moseley (The Royals – he came with Actress Girlfriend Kelsey Chow!), Alexandra Park (The Royals), Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), George Wendt (Buzzys), Elizabeth Henstridge (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Stephen Amell (Arrow), David Ramsey (Arrow), Candice Patton (The Flash), Danielle Panabaker (The Flash), Jared Keeso (19-2), Laura Vandervoort (Bitten), Steven Lund (Bitten), Michael Xavier (Bitten), Greg Bryk (Bitten), Greyston Holt (Bitten), Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs), Kristin Lehman (Motive), Brendan Penney (Motive), Louis Ferreira (Motive), Erica Durance (Saving Hope), Daniel Gillies (Saving Hope) and several more. Newcomer Grant Gustin, formerly of Glee, drew the most anticipation on the Fan-filled Red Carpet, many predicting that new CW Series The Flash will propel his Career to the stratosphere.
For more on CTV‘s upcoming Lineup, click here.
And now for the fun stuff! We snagged a few Autographs from some of today’s CTV Upfront Stars including Laura Vandervoort, Ben McKenzie, Matt McGorry, Elizabeth Henstridge and Chloe Bennet! To enter to win, specify at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook under this Post whose Autograph you’d like to win and click “like” also. You may enter for multiple Autographs!
Good luck, Wongsters!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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