Film / To Catch a Yeti

A 1995 Made-for-TV Movie in which Meat Loaf battles a little girl for possession of a two-foot-tall animatronic yeti.

Our story begins in the Himalayas, where Big Jake Grizzly (Meat Loaf) seeks a yeti for his wealthy patron. The yeti narrowly eludes him and stows away in the luggage of a mild-mannered tourist from upstate New York. His daughter Amy discovers the creature and names him Hank. When Big Jake Grizzly tracks down the family and captures the yeti, Amy follows them to New York City to rescue her new friend.

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Tropes:

• Adults Are Useless: Downplayed. For the most part, the Bristows are constantly losing track of their daughter and being generally ineffectual, with just about all the heroic action is initiated by Amy. Despite this, Dave does get a few moments to shine when he gets his family into the Sturgeon house to get Hank back and utilizes his ally in the police. The hunters (well, Grizzly) are also highly competent, but they're the main antagonists of the movie. The law enforcement of the film also zig-zag this, being aware of the threat Grizzly poses, with airport security even arresting him at the end of the film. But the local police refuse to do anything at first because the Bristows smuggled in an illegal animal, not caring that Grizzly endangered their child in the process of taking it.
• Alternate DVD Commentary: A comedic commentary was recorded by RiffTrax in 2015 and was later added to Youtube.
• Answer Cut: Just before the credits, we see Wesley's parents relaxing in Greece, wondering what happened to their son after leaving him with the hunters. Cut to the boy with his upper body buried in a snowbank.
• Asshole Victim: It's saying something when the audience wants Wesley, a young boy, to have a more violent, deadly comeuppance.
• Batman in My Basement
• Bavarian Fire Drill: Dave Bristow poses as a blustery federal agent while his family steals the yeti from the Sturgeon mansion.
• Bound and Gagged: The hunters take the Bristow parents hostage after they find the family hiding out at a cabin.
• Bullying a Dragon: For some reason, Wesley thinks it's a good idea to constantly berate Blubber and Grizzly, even after Grizzly shows his willingness to chuck the boy across the living room. His role in the movie ends when Grizzy loses his patience and Wesley is thrown in a snowbank.
• Bumbling Sidekick: Blubber.
• Chroma Key: Painfully evident whenever a character is seen flying through the air or doing anything remotely acrobatic.
• Cool, but Inefficient: A literal example. To keep the yeti cool, the Bristows stash him in their open refrigerator all night long. In real life, this would probably burn out the fridge motor or result in a huge electricity bill.
• Determinator: You have to respect Grizzly's work ethic, when he's hired for a job, he doesn't give up easily, chasing Hank across several countries and doing whatever it takes to get his hands on the yeti.
• Failed a Spot Check
  Mike Nelson: So [Dave] folded and packed a tent with a yeti still in it?
• Foreshadowing: Amy tells Hank about the Bristow's winter cabin before the hunters kidnap the yeti. The Bristows end up using this as a hiding place later on.
• Friend on the Force: Dave Bristow's climbing companion happens to be a police officer who later helps him during the yeti caper.
• I Own This Town: Mr. Sturgeon claims to own most of the Albany police.
• Just Plane Wrong
  Bill Corbett: Where does a plane take off from high up in the Himalayas?
• Lady Drunk: Mrs. Sturgeon.
• Mickey Mousing: To emphasize the comedy, the soundtrack often gives way to zany slapstick noises and drum stings.
  Bill Corbett: Comedy clarinet! It lets your audience know that something funny is ostensibly happening.
• '90s Hair: Most of the men sport mullets.
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Most obviously the British actress playing Mrs. Bristow, but also apparent when characters meant to be New Yorkers are heard using non-American terms like 'mum'.
  • Canadian pronunciations are also abundant throughout the film. Mountains having a soft "oh" sound in place of the "ow".
• Our Monsters Are Different: In this film, yetis are small monkey-like creatures with disproportionately huge feet.
• Parental Abandonment: Before the climax, Wesley's parents convince ^Read Bribe Grizzly to take Wesley with them on the final chase. After they leave, the parents use the opportunity to run off to Greece and leave him behind.
• Plot-Powered Stamina: The yeti can tolerate the heat except at arbitrary moments when it becomes a problem.
• Royal Brat: Wesley, who terrorizes his family's servants and is indulged (but not respected) by his millionaire parents.
• Shoo the Dog: Eventually the Bristows fly back to the Himalayas to release the yeti back into his natural habitat.
• Singing in the Shower: Dave Bristow, before the yeti eats his floor pie.
• Weaksauce Weakness: The yeti is accustomed to the frigid temperatures of the Himalayas, and grows weak if he is not kept cool.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Wesley is never seen again once Big Jake throws him out of the limo and into a snowbank at the end. Not like anyone, much less his parents, seem to care.
• Would Hit A Child: Wesley really hates maids, and has presumed to have killed, or at least maimed, half a dozen through various methods. He also states his intention to shoot Amy when he and the hunters tray to take Hank back near the end of the film.
• Would Hurt a Child: Big Jake wouldn't mind smacking Wesley around. Most of the audience will side with Jake.

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