August 10th: Smallfoot
Smallfoot
Released: 2018
Directed by: Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Common, Danny DeVito, Ely Henry, Yara Shahidi
Smallfoot tells the story of a young yeti, Migo, who by chance meets a human, or “smallfoot.” Migo tries to tell his yeti village about the smallfoot, but their leader, Stonekeeper, banishes him for telling lies. They are considered lies because they contradict the stones, a vest of laws that Stonekeeper wears. Migo, with the help of some other smallfoot believers, descends the mountain to find the smallfoot. Once he does, chaos ensues.
Smallfoot has its heart in the right place. The lesson is a good one, if overly simplified: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The problem comes when Stonekeeper explains why humans are to be hidden and feared, because there is actually some solid reasoning behind his fears. I am reminded of the quote from Men in Black: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it.” It is a worthy and moral lesson to teach kids that it is wrong to judge individuals based solely on the group they belong to, or to judge an entire group solely by its history. At the same time, I think the movie oversimplifies the other side of the equation. There are situations in which caution is not only reasonable but necessary. That does not mean assuming an individual’s innocence or guilt based on their group, but rather recognizing when a situation presents a legitimate safety concern because of demonstrated behavior. Smallfoot understandably chooses the simpler message for a children’s movie, but the real-world lesson is more complicated.
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The voice acting in this film is mediocre at best. It seems they chose celebrities to voice the characters rather than celebrities who can actually voice act. The songs are fine. Zendaya’s song, specifically, is competent and so inoffensive it offends sensibilities. It sounds like the kind of song you would hear in the lobby of a movie theater. Common’s song as Stonekeeper is really well done, actually. It presents the yetis’ concerns about humanity in a convincing way while also justifying the lies their leadership has told their people for centuries. The movie is at its best when it is doing slapstick. Not dialogue. Not singing. Just silly slapstick.
Small Observations:
- LeBron James as a voice actor is a choice. Not a good one. Not a bad one. Just a choice. But he is the perfect example of a voice actor chosen for his name rather than his talent.
- Jimmy Tatro plays the Stonekeeper’s idiotic son. Patrick Star level of dumb. Father Dougal from Father Ted level of dumb. Logan Paul level of dumb. He does a great job!
- James Corden does not add to his character. He takes away from his character. I am immediately annoyed at hearing his voice. And he goes from selfish scumbag to decent fella in an unrealistic amount of time. He also ruined the classic Queen song “Under Pressure” in a worse way than Vanilla Ice. And that is saying something.
- MCU actors: 2
Overall Rank: C
Honestly, I can’t tell how I feel about it. There are good things (Common’s song, Tatro, the slapstick). There are mediocre things (voice acting in general, the writing, Zendaya’s song). There are terrible things (James f***ing Corden). All that adds up to is: meh.
