Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman

Plot

The North siblings, Benjamin, Crista and Marco, must rescue their missing Uncle Rudy, who has gone to the Himalayas in search of the mythical Yeti. The first decision that the player has to make is when their Fokker F27 has a fuel leak and they either have to parachute or stay.

Producer Jeff Norton explains that they aspired to create alternate story paths (there are "over eleven possible endings") with different character and story developments and yet obey the rules of their fictional world.

Cast

Production

Jeff Norton and Michelle Crames (the producers of the film and founders of Lean Forward Media) recall reading the classic Choose Your Own Adventure series in their youths. Norton explains that they "developed a patent-pending technology" for using the remote control and created the film's main characters (forgoing the book's more ambiguous second-person perspective). He noted the touch of cinematic perspective Bob Doucette brought the film. Director Norton believed that the interactivity would provide an interesting way for parents and children to discuss the story and characters. The DVD also provides documentary material on life in Nepal, cast interviews, and a music video.

Norton stated on Leanforwardmedia.com that the film would appeal to parents who grew up with the books. Crame said that parents would value the film because through it kids would learn about making decisions and the consequences of those decisions.

Upon its release the film was featured on “18 million boxes of Life cereal.”

Reception

In their review, the Dove Foundation praised the concept of the film, stating that, “Teaching your children how to make choices, and deal with what the outcomes of those choices might be, is hard to do,” and noting that each adventure can last 20 minutes depending on the choices the viewer makes. Kidzworld gave it four stars and noted how the DVD makes a choice for the viewer after a certain amount of time. Dave Johnson, in a review on DVD Verdict, praised the overall concept of “multiple branching storylines” on a DVD and noted the colorful animation, anamorphic widescreen presentation and 5.1 surround sound.

Colin Jacobson in a review for DVD Movie Guide said that the color palette was a strength but found many aspects of the film to be generic and uninteresting; he also stated that the smoothness with which the story transitions is sometimes an issue and found one life-decision choice to be unfairly punishing.

Series

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman is the first in a series of DVDs based on the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Other planned releases included The Lost Jewels and Mystery of the Maya. As of early 2017, however, there have yet to be further releases.

Endorsements