‘Abbey’ fun for a while; ‘Abominable’ delights

Downton Abbey

Amid uncertain times, it’s a fine time for some good old-fashioned escapist drama. (And it’s always the right time for the brilliantly sardonic Maggie Smith as Dowager Countess Violet Crawley.) Following the hit TV show’s six seasons, the film announces some important visitors to the estate: King George V and Queen Mary. As the Crawley family prepares for the visit, the servants discover the royals travel with their own staff and concoct a scheme.

Fans of the series would likely be placated by the fan service-heavy movie, though there’s not much else to it, wrote Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips in his review.

“It’s fun, for a while, to see the gang back together in ‘Downton Abbey,’ with nearly two dozen rotating characters played by actors whose eyes twinkle with confidence,” wrote Phillips. “... ‘Downton Abbey’ settles for lower franchise stakes; it’s more like ‘Downton Abbey: The Exhibition,’ or an accompanying ‘making of’ video thereof.”

Abominable

In this computer-animated film, teenage Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet) and her friends (Albert Tsai and Tenzing Norgay Trainor) discover a Yeti and set out on a treacherous journey to return him to his family. A scheming businessman (Eddie Izzard) and zoologist (Sarah Paulson) try to thwart the teens and kidnap the creature for themselves.

Not only does the film take a refreshing tone with its nuanced protagonists, it also breathes new life into the quintessential concept of the hero’s journey, wrote Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh. “It can be a rare occurrence to find a kid-friendly animated film these days that actually surprises and delights. ‘Abominable’ ... does indeed surprise and delight, all while following a familiar hero’s journey tale that borrows from favorite friendly creature films.”