In Search of the Yeti – Mission Kathmandu: The Adventures of Nelly & Simon (2017)

Directed by: Pierre Greco, Nancy Florence Savard | 81 minutes | animation, adventure

In the animated film ‘In Search of the Yeti’ we meet the headstrong private detective Nelly Maloye. More ambitious than she is at her craft, her persistence soon leads her to the clumsy Simon Picard, an assistant anthropology scientist at a museum. Simon is convinced that the Yeti is the connecting link between ape-man and man.

A confluence of circumstances and against his expectations gives Simon the opportunity to search the Himalayas in search of the Yeti. Nelly accompanies him. With the help of a diary of Edward Martineau, a spoiled, fame-hungry wealthy son who disappeared decades ago, Nelly and Simon soon find themselves in Nepal. But then the adventure begins.

‘In Search of the Yeti’ is a nice animated film, in which the visual style is more impressive than the story. Especially in the beginning, when it is revealed that the film is set in 1950s Quebec, the film has a bit of a film noir vibe, which feels nice. That classic sauce disappears somewhat into the background once the tour group is in the snowy mountain landscape, but that environment is also beautifully rendered.

It is a pity that the characters have some annoying traits. For example, Nelly is a pusher, Simon is a bit of a timid, not to mention the predictable character development of Martineau, who of course abandons the adventurers at the moment supreme and wants to take the credit himself. But the addition of the Nepalese guide Tenzing and the humorous sidekick in the form of a mynah is nice again.

For very young viewers, ‘In Search of the Yeti’ might be a bit exciting, because in a cave a dead researcher is found, who after all these years is surprisingly well preserved (thanks to the cold), but who may still seem creepy. Also the scene with the ghosts of former explorers is probably a bit intense. In addition, there is plenty of action, including faltering planes and tumbles into abyss. ‘In Search of the Yeti’ is a semi-successful animation film, in which the makers have clearly chosen their own direction on the visual level, but where the screenplay could have been fine-tuned.