Yesterday I watched the DreamWorks/Pearl studios animated movie Abominable.
It was super cute, heartwarming, and I just loved it in general. At times it was a little goofy, which is to be expected from a kids' movie, and the plot was predictable, but the feeling was surprisingly sincere. The music was also lovely.
I also came away from the theater with a theory about this lovely film that I am eager to share and discuss. **SPOILERS ahead**
Yi's father died just a few years ago. Peng was old enough to remember him, but probably still very young when he died.
Everest is a young child. They estimate him to be the same age "in yeti years" as Peng, though it's not specified how yetis age as compared to humans, so it's possible he may be chronologically older or younger.
Everest intuitively leads Yi to places her father wanted to visit with her, including a giant Bhudda statue where they share a special moment and Yi learns that she can do magic.
Bhuddism, which is a very common religion in China, includes a belief in reincarnation.
Here's what we don't know:
What drew the yeti to Yi's appartment? Was it just a coincidence, or some force of destiny or something like that?
Why or how does Yi gain the same magical power that the yetis have? It may be implied that she unlocks this power because of a deep connection to the yeti, but the film doesn't really explain this.
EDIT: Apparently I missed the part where the strings of her violin were repaired with yeti hair, so that is probably the explanation for this. Though it still doesn't seem too far-fetched to think having a connection to him would help.
When Yi's father died, his spirit was reincarnated as a baby Yeti, and when he was captured and subsequently escaped into the very city where his previous family still lived, fate led him to their rooftop.
The reason Yi was able to finally let go of her grief and move on to acceptance of her father's passing was because on her journey to get Everest back home to his family she has a subconscious, spiritual realization that he lives on in this form. She doesn't fully realize or acknowledge it, but I believe this spiritual connection is partially why she's able to do yeti magic.
At the very end of the film, during the credits, when we see Yi going back to visit the giant Bhudda statue with the rest of her family, it doesn't feel like anyone is actually missing from the picture, and I feel like this is because she already saw it with Everest.
Please feel free to let me know if you find any flaws in my theory or if you notice anything else I may have missed, and I would also love to engage in any other discussion regarding this movie. ✨
