Abominable 2019

The cinematic journey commences in China’s bustling metropolis, where Burnish Industries serves as the backdrop for an extraordinary escape. A mysterious yeti (Joseph Izzo), once confined within the facility, breaks free from its holding cell and embarks on a daring flight through the complex. Pursued by Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) and mercenary captain (Rich Dietl), the elusive creature proves adept at evading capture, ultimately bursting forth into the city’s vibrant streets. As it navigates this unfamiliar terrain, the yeti’s powers are awakened, manifesting in a series of remarkable feats.

Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the city, 16-year-old Yi (Chloe Bennet) is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. She lives with her mother (Michelle Wong) and Nai Nai (Tsai Chin), who have become increasingly distant since her father’s passing. Yi’s desire to reconnect with her loved ones is palpable, as she takes on various odd jobs to save up for a trip across China that she had always dreamed of sharing with her dad.

Her childhood friend Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) is preoccupied with his social life, while Jin’s cousin Peng (Albert Tsai) lacks companionship. Yi’s bond with her father is still strong, as she often plays his violin to soothe her emotions. One evening, while serenading the city from her rooftop perch, Yi’s reverie is disrupted by a helicopter searching for the yeti. As she falls, her bow slips away, coming to rest near an injured and frightened creature.

Yi’s initial fear gives way to empathy as she approaches the yeti, realizing that it poses no threat. The next day, Yi ventures out with Nai Nai’s delectable pork buns, which the yeti devours in a single bite. Recognizing its longing for the mountains, Yi decides to name the creature Everest and takes on the responsibility of nursing its wound.

As Zara and her team intensify their search for the yeti, Yi must navigate this new dynamic, all while uncovering the motivations behind Mr. Burnish’s (Eddie Izzard) pursuit of the elusive creature. With these intriguing threads weaving together, the stage is set for a thrilling adventure that will take Yi and Everest on a journey across China, bound by their shared desire to find belonging and connection in an ever-changing world.

As the sun dips below the horizon, Yi’s violin melodies entice Everest to emerge, his mystical abilities reviving a once-faded flower. Unbeknownst to them, Jin and Peng are monitoring their every move from above, where they mistakenly believe Everest is devouring Yi whole. The mercs, led by Zara and Burnish, overhear the commotion on their scanner and swiftly dispatch towards the rooftop confrontation. Yi and Everest manage to evade capture, fleeing to a nearby building just as the mercs close in. The duo’s narrow escape allows them to reach the docks, where Everest boards a vessel bound for his homeland. Yi, however, decides to join him, sensing his deep-seated fear. Peng and Jin reluctantly follow, with the latter concocting an alibi about taking the girls on a college tour in Beijing.

As the boat chugs along, its cargo hold conceals Everest, Yi, and Peng in a crate of sodas. The truck that hauls their crate eventually breaks down, prompting the trio to tumble out onto the island’s rugged terrain. Their impromptu journey leads them to the foot of a majestic mountain, where they must trek to ensure Everest’s safe return home.

Jin’s growling belly protests their long and arduous walk. Everest, however, responds with another enchanting hum, summoning a verdant growth of succulent blueberries. But these berries rapidly balloon in size before taking flight, pelting the trio as they attempt to flee. Exhausted, they opt for an overnight respite, during which Yi observes the effortless camaraderie between Peng and Everest – a poignant reminder that even those lost and alone can find solace in unexpected friendships.

Meanwhile, Burnish, Zara, the Captain, and their mercenary cohorts track down clues scattered across the island, their search led by a trail of discarded soda cans. As they venture into the great outdoors, Burnish finds himself captivated by nature’s splendor, his urban sensibilities momentarily set aside.

As the trio of adventurers - Yi, Peng, and Everest (Liu Yifei) - continues their perilous journey, they’re suddenly spotted by the surveillance drones of the ruthless Burnish. In a daring move, Everest summons a massive dandelion to lift them away from danger, but unfortunately, Jin’s (Khan) timing is off and he decides to meet up with his friends in a village by the river instead. Jin finds himself alone, taken in by Burnish and his team at their campsite.

Meanwhile, Yi, Everest, and Peng successfully land their dandelion floatie in the scorching desert, inadvertently leaving a family of turtles with a bounty of food. As they take another well-deserved rest, Yi’s conscience gets the better of her, blaming herself for the predicament they’re in. However, she soon finds inspiration in the determination of fish swimming upstream in the river - and decides that if those fish don’t give up, neither should they.

Jin, however, is consumed by anxiety and can’t sleep, eventually venturing out into the night to clear his head. It’s there that he overhears Zara (Tao Okamoto) dropping her British accent, revealing a sinister truth: she never had any intention of safely returning Everest home, but rather sought to profit from his existence - and wouldn’t hesitate to harm the children to achieve her goal. Jin attempts to steal a motorcycle, but it takes a nosedive off a cliff, forcing him to continue on foot through treacherous terrain until he stumbles upon a vendor who trades him a boat for his phone.

Meanwhile, Yi and Peng attempt to sneak Everest past the crowd on a train that’s taking them to the village. However, Burnish and his team are hot on their heels, having spotted them. Jin arrives just in time to spirit Yi away onto a boat, while Peng creates a diversion by causing the yaks they’re accompanying to stampede. He and Everest soon join Yi and Jin, but the Captain (Tzi Ma) and his cohorts - Burnish, Zara, and their watercraft - are hot on their tail, chasing them across the landscape.

Everest’s magic proves to be the turning point in this high-stakes chase, as he removes the boat engine and hums a gentle tune, sending the vessel sailing further down the river. As they hit dry land, Everest’s magic conjures up a tidal wave of flowers that propels them to safety, even impressing Burnish with its sheer power.

As the group’s makeshift vessel crashes onto the uncharted island, Yi’s delicate violin lies broken and silenced. Seeking solace in the surrounding foliage, she ventures into the forest, where Jin follows closely behind, his concern for her well-being palpable. The ensuing conversation reveals a depth of emotional turmoil, as Yi confronts the pain of her father’s passing, the distance from her mother, and the weight of unresolved grief. Her admission that she has yet to shed tears over her loss speaks volumes about the complexities of her emotional landscape.

Upon their return to Peng and Everest, they discover that the two have secretly collaborated to restore Yi’s violin to its former glory, utilizing Everest’s ethereal locks as strings imbued with mystical properties. As Yi gazes upon a collection of cherished mementos, featuring the very places she had once hoped to visit alongside her father, it becomes clear that their extraordinary journey has been a manifestation of those very same destinations. However, one location remains shrouded in mystery, its allure drawing the group forward with an irresistible force.

Their eventual arrival at the majestic Sichuan Buddha statue is met with a profound emotional response from Yi, as she begins to play her violin with a heartfelt intensity reminiscent of her father’s fond playing style. The magic coursing through the instrument awakens the statue, enveloping it in a vibrant tapestry of blooming flowers.

As the heroes draw near the mountainous terrain, they are suddenly confronted by a band of mercenaries on a precarious bridge. Everest, ever the protector, hastens to the bridge’s apex, employing his extraordinary abilities to safeguard the group. Burnish, however, is overcome with nostalgia as he beholds this display of yeti prowess, recalling the moment when he first encountered the mother yeti valiantly defending her cubs. His epiphany prompts him to implore Zara that they must apprehend Everest without harm.

Zara, however, has other plans, ordering her comrades to tranquilize Burnish and subsequently Everest, causing the latter to tumble onto the bridge. As Zara attempts to subdue Everest using a cattle prod, Yi valiantly intervenes, only to be forcibly pushed over the bridge by Zara, who then seizes Peng and Jin as prisoners. The group’s plight takes a dramatic turn as they are forced to board the captive Everest, bound for an uncertain fate.

As Yi clings tenaciously to the rope on the precarious bridge, her determination proves insufficient against the forces of gravity and fate. With a Herculean effort, she manages to pull herself back up to the top, reclaiming her trusty violin as if it held the very fabric of their salvation. The sweet melodies she coaxes forth from its strings seem to infuse the air with an otherworldly energy, imbuing Everest’s lifeless form with a vitality that sends him bursting forth from his cage like a pent-up force of nature.

With his newfound vigor, he effortlessly dispatches the mercenaries that had been hot on their heels, freeing Jin, Peng, and Burnish from their shackles. As the dust settles, Everest unleashes a torrent of icy fury, conjuring towering icicles that send the would-be captors fleeing in terror. Yet, even as victory is theirs to savor, Zara and the Captain reveal themselves to be more cunning than they seemed, determined to claim Everest’s lifeless body at any cost.

Their reckless ambition ultimately proves their downfall, as they inadvertently trigger a catastrophic avalanche that sends them plummeting to their deaths. Everest, meanwhile, emerges unscathed, his powers manifesting in ways both wondrous and terrible. Burnish approaches him with an air of reverence, acknowledging the awe-inspiring nature of this enigmatic creature.

Everest’s response is twofold: he summons a swarm of ethereal cloud creatures to guide their party to the mystical mountain stronghold, where an army of yetis awaits – his family, who welcome him back into their midst with open arms. As Yi bids farewell to her extraordinary friend, she knows that their adventure has merely begun.

Back in the real world, Burnish returns the kids to their loving families, where they are reunited with their Nai Nai and mom. The warmth of their domestic lives is tempered only by the arrival of a mysterious package from Burnish – a treasure trove of equipment for their next thrilling escapade. As they sit down to savor Nai Nai’s renowned pork buns, Peng claims an insatiable love for them, prompting Yi to recall another ardent enthusiast. The evening air is filled with the gentle hum of Everest, now a poignant reminder of the magic that lies just beyond their doorstep.