Smallfoot is a cute, if not that original, animated musical about a secret society of yetis who resemble a mashup of the Grinch and Rudolph’s Abominable Snowmonster and live on a mountain peak above the clouds. Channing Tatum voices Migo, a young yeti preparing to take over his dad’s job of banging the gong that wakens the great snail in the sky. However, when Migo meets a legendary smallfoot—i.e., human—he finds himself banned for speaking out against the stones that rule yeti society.
The family film boasts charming voicework from Tatum, Zendaya, the Jedi-like Common, Danny DeVito, an unrecognizable LeBron James and even James Corden, and a visually creative new world. However, those inclined to see attacks on Christianity in Starbucks’ cup choices will probably grow irate at Smallfoot’s message to question those in authority. Yet the film takes less umbrage with religion, which goes unmentioned, than with accepting authoritative commands with no critical thought.
Why would anyone seek to be angered by writer-director Karey Kirkpatrick’s catchy, if unmemorable, songs and Tatum’s contagious collegiality? Besides, your kid will have forgotten about it by the next day.
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