A small foot for a Yeti, a giant step for mankind

Over the years, American animated films taught us priceless pieces of wisdom.

You are what you choose to be - The Iron Giant, Lilo and Stitch, Wreck it Ralph, Monsters Inc., Zootopia

Live, don't hide– Finding Nemo, The Croods, Toy Story 2and 3

Follow your dream, wherever it may lead – Tangled, Ratatouille, Moana

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you'll get what you need – The Princess and the Frog

The second born is unfit to reign thus primogeniture is right – The Lion King

Dress to impress - Cinderella

But never before a big budget animated movie aimed at kids dared to teach us to quit religion and dig science. Enter Smallfoot, a hybrid between King Kongand Shymalan's The Village. Warner Bros film boldly goes where no mainstream cartoon has gone before and encourages us and our kids to free our minds from the religious grip. To be curious, question authority and seek the truth. Or so I intended it. I may be biased.

(To be fair, Sausage Partymade the same point but, with its metaphysical angle and raunchy approach, it was definitely not conceived with a children audience in mind)

Smallfoottells the story of a peaceful village where yetis live industrious and stable life, busy with nonsensical rituals, under the benevolent guidance of a wise man, the Stonekeeper; he's in charge of preserving the vision and rituals contained in the sacred stones and openly discourages any curiosity and critical thinking. So the yetis live convinced their mountain floats on a cloud sustained by giant mammoths and surrounded by empty space. To leave the village means death. And humans are a legend.

When one Yeti accidentally meets a man, a small foot, and ventures down from the mountain, a conflict arises between the Stonekeeper who, as his predecessors, knew the truth all along and our hero. A struggle between preserving a lie that protects Yetis from any dangerous contact with the outside world and revealing the truth, however ugly and uncertain the outcome.

After many adventures and missteps, our hero and his gang of iconoclasts win and liberate their people from subjugation to the false dogmas and silly rituals prescribed by the stones. Knowledge is power. And they live atheist ever after.

I could not believe what I was watching. An iconic priest-like eldest figure, with beard and stick, holding sacred stones that teach about the beginning of life and its everyday unquestionable commandments... that are revealed to be all bogus and literally thrown away. Wow.

Quite a controversial and risky statement to make in a film aimed principally at kids. How did this get made?! Could all execs in Warner Bros have overlooked the anti-religious subtext, distracted by the cute character design and the irresistible slapstick? Or were they consciously planting the seed of atheism in the minds of the new generation?

Of course the film could all as well be about the importance of seeking the truth amidst fake news, about questioning our leaders, fighting the urge to close the boundaries and isolate ourselves in our little world, fearful and suspicious of anyone on the outside. Which are also great, timely and much needed messages.

So kudos to the writer and director Karey Kirkpatrick for bringing new, unexpected, bold topics to the animated world and encouraging interesting discussions with my kids. Personally, I couldn't have asked for more.