'Son of Bigfoot' Is a Warm Father & Son Story for Younger Kids

Son of Bigfoot follows 13-year-old Adam (voiced by Pappy Faulkner), on an epic and daring quest to uncover the mystery behind his long-lost dad (aka “Bigfoot” voiced by Christopher L. Parson). Adam’s mom Shelly (voiced by Lindsay Torrance) is sweet and loving—though she does keep a very important secret from Adam… and she makes an awful meatloaf.

At first, Adam doesn’t know his father is actually alive or that he is a full-on, fur-bearing Sasquatch. Of course, that would explain the boy’s rapid hair growth and why his oversized feet burst out of his sneakers whenever the bullies chase him. What he does know is that he needs his dad more than anything. He’s in luck because he soon finds out that Bigfoot is alive and well, living in a neighboring forest. After a harrowing road trip taken without Shelly’s knowledge, father and son are reunited.

Adam learns why his dad had to play dead: Wallace Eastman (Terrence Stone) the head of a nefarious hair-growth empire, HairCo., is after the hirsute hominid and will stop at nothing to find him. Eastman wants to extract Bigfoot’s follicle-friendly DNA and use it to end baldness forever (and make a bajillion dollars while he’s at it).

Bigfoot is a kindly and harmless vegetarian who loves to play the banjo and lives in a cool treehouse. His best friends are raccoons, squirrels, and a big brown bear. But still, he does miss living at home with his wife and son. As father and son bond, Adam soon discovers that he has inherited superpowers beyond his imagination. Now that the youngster knows the secret of his birthright, he is also in danger. Before long, the baddies find the hidden forest lair and all heck breaks loose.

The plot does sound pretty ridiculous but actually, the way the story unfolds it feels quite believable and all the pieces do fit together. The main reason to go along for the ride is that Adam and his family are so likable and the story really is a lot of fun. The animation is simple and colorful and even the villains look cute. It’s an upbeat tale that never gets too dark and has very little violence. While this is a father and son story, mom does show up toward the end for some appropriately timed girl power.

Son of Bigfoot (released in Europe last year as Bigfoot Junior) is entertaining family fare; it’s perfect for younger kiddos who aren’t quite ready for the more sophisticated offerings of Pixar or DreamWorks… hand still fun enough for mom and dad to enjoy. Adults will notice nods to X-Men, Teen Wolf and The Incredible Hulk, and a few (very few) pop-culture references.