— by Bethany Gustafson
PARENT PREVIEWS –
Making Media Entertainment An Easier Choice For Families
Small
foot
PG
VIOLENCE: (B-)
Slapstick antics are depicted throughout; characters deliberately bang their heads into solid objects,
or are accidentally hit by airplanes, dropped off cliffs, chased by wild animals, crushed by rocks, rolled
down mountains, or pursued by other characters. A character injures his foot — a drop of blood is
shown. Characters are shot by tranquilizer darts.
SEXUAL CONTENT: (A-)
The script features fairly frequent scatological humor, including poop and butt jokes, and the occasional
slang term. A character is shot in the backside with a tranquilizer dart.
OVERALL RATING: LANGUAGE: (B+)
Slang terms are used to describe feces, some mild name-calling.
WARNER ANIMATION
GROUP
Released on DVD:
December 11, 2018 ALCOHOL / DRUG
USE: (A-)
A character is shot
with a tranquilizer
dart, and staggers
around with slurred
speech.
B-
Migo, (voiced by Channing Tatum)
lives in a perfect world. He’s a valued mem-
ber of a yeti community on a rugged Hi-
malayan peak where, since time immemo-
rial, members of his mythical species have
maintained a peaceful village. Everyone in
town has a specific job to do, all of which
are dictated by Stonekeeper (voiced by rap-
per Common), the village leader who re-
cords and interprets the community’s laws.
No matter how absurd their assigned task, or
how outlandish the Stonekeeper’s teachings,
the yeti are encouraged to accept his direc-
tion without question. They often repeat the
mantra that doubts must be pushed down
deep inside until they disappear.
Migo’s comfortable existence changes
abruptly when he stumbles across a stranded
human. After being taught that these small-
footed creatures were only myth, the en-
counter turns Migo’s beliefs upside down,
leading him to question Stonekeeper’s hon-
esty. Things get even worse when the Small-
foot escapes his grasp, leaving no proof that
the meeting ever happened. Not surprisingly,
Migo’s indoctrinated community doesn’t
believe his story, and he soon becomes a
social outcast. With the help of four other
non-conformists, (voiced by Zendaya, LeB-
ron James, Ely Henry and Gina Rodriguez)
Migo sets out into the unknown to find a
Smallfoot and clear his name.
Meanwhile, in a presumably remote
Himalayan village, Percy (voiced by James
Corden) has come to film a documentary.
This washed out TV star is desperate to bol-
ster his popularity by becoming an internet
sensation and has decided that filming a yeti
(real or otherwise) is his best shot at success.
The parallels between Percy’s lack of prin-
ciples and the dishonesty rampant in the yeti
commu-
nity are
obvious
— almost
as
pre-
dictable
as Percy
and Migo’s eventual collision.
While the resolution of the story man-
ages some creative and genuinely funny mo-
ments, these are diluted by an excess of slap-
stick scenarios — characters fall of cliffs,
get hit by airplanes, are squished, trampled,
crushed, shot at, and basically suffer every
possible form of cartoon injury possible. If it
sounds grisly, don’t panic. Yeti and humans
both prove completely invincible and the
violence is played for laughs.
Perhaps more troubling to parents is
the film’s obvious agenda. The Stonekeeper,
portrayed as a religious leader turned master
manipulator, has no qualms about lying to
his faithful followers — even when it means
subjecting them to unsafe work practices or
turning them against their own family mem-
bers. Meanwhile, the yeti are easily duped;
only rescued by a team of youngsters who
defy authority, break the rules, and aren’t
concerned about putting themselves in
harm’s way in the quest for proof. While the
film toes the line of encouraging healthy cu-
riosity and critical thinking, it still resorts to
tired stereotypes — adult figures who prove
untrustworthy, a romanticized rebellion led
by youth, and a naive public that happily
adapts in a matter of minutes to losing an en-
tire way of life. Perhaps these over-simplis-
tic and unrealistic responses should be ex-
pected in a children’s movie. It’s likely that
these messages will fly over the heads of the
tots giggling at the furry monsters on screen.
For additional
information on this
film’s content, visit
www.parentpreviews.com
But for a film that preaches
the values of an open mind
and wide perspective, this
attempt is truly abominable.
And that’s a shame.
TALK ABOUT THE
MOVIE WITH YOUR FAMILY…
The importance of honesty is a theme
throughout this film. Why is it sometimes
tempting to be dishonest? What consequenc-
es could result from those choices? What
effect could dishonesty have on the people
around you?
The Stonekeeper uses rules to control
the yeti community. What rules are you
asked to obey? Are rules always bad? When
we don’t understand rules, who can we ask
for help? What should we do if we disagree
with a rule?
Migo and his friends are interested in
learning more about the world around them,
but they don’t always make safe choices.
They’re also interested in getting to know
Percy and the other Smallfeet. What are
some safe ways to learn more about the
world? How can we get to know other peo-
ple and learn more about different cultures?
LOVED THE MOVIE?
TRY THESE BOOKS…
Scott Magoon’s children’s picture book
The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot retells the tra-
ditional story of the boy who cried wolf.
This charming book can be enjoyed even by
young children.
The Littlest Bigfoot, by Jennifer Wein-
er, is a heartwarming story about kids who
don’t fit in. Because it contains bullying, it
is probably not suitable for kids under eight
years of age.
OFFICIAL SITE:
http://www.smallfootmovie.net
February 2019 WNY Family 33