When I realized that I could watch all three of these dueling movies on one flight, I couldn't resist. They all came out within a year of each other and are animated adventure comedies involving humans who discover that bigfeet of some sort not only exist but are hardly monsters. Now I would know my personal preference among them.
In SF, the yeti Migo (Channing Tatum) thinks humans a myth until he sees one. Since his secluded Himalayan community's lore does not brook that claim, he can't go home again until he either admits error or brings back proof. Enter Percy (James Corden), a documentarian who cultivates a Steve Irwin image but has been sacrificing truth for excitement. They never learn each others' languages, but Percy eventually stops seeing Migo as an imminent threat, and Migo finds him harmless from the start. The question is, how will other yetis view humans -- and vice versa?
ML is set in the 19th century, when explorer Lionel (Zach Galifianakis) receives a letter from one of the cryptids he's wondered about, a Sasquatch (Hugh Jackman), whom Lionel dubs "Mr. Link" on the grounds that he appears to come between humans and apes. Lonely Mr. Link wants Lionel's help to reach Shangri-La, which, in this version, is populated by yetis. Lionel agrees in order to secure his place in the Society of Great Men, but Society leader Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry) is so opposed to Lionel's evolution theory and anti-imperialism that he hires a hit man (Timothy Olyphant) right out of the starting gate....
In A, Shanghai teen Yi (Chloe Bennett) goes to her apartment roof and finds a yeti so young he can't walk on two legs yet, let alone speak, albeit already much larger than a human. She calls him "Everest" and wants to help him home to his namesake. Along for the journey are younger boy Peng (Albert Tsai) and his reluctant older cousin, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor). Of course, Everest didn't come to the city of his own accord: Millionaire Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard) wants to reveal him to the world. With Burnish is Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson), who professes an interest in studying Everest. At least they all want him alive. Right?
Another thing the three have in common is what they don't have in common with my previous viewing: vilification of a British accent. Sure, Piggot-Dunceby and his stooges are British villains, but Lionel's British too, as is on-and-off love interest Adelina (Zoe Saldana). Percy's never worse than mildly dishonest. A toys with the trope, but the worst villain is actually an American pretending to be British in order to sound gentle.
Which one has the best hairy giant? Depends what you're looking for. Everest is cute and cuddly enough to be a spiritual successor to Toothless. He's also the only one with magical powers, which are better suited to peaceful purposes than to fighting. Mr. Link is a tad goofy, curiously able to pass for human when dressed but still prone to faux pases, especially with literalism. SF has the most yetis we really get to know, so you have options there. Some viewers almost share Migo's crush on Meechee (Zendaya), but I'm sticking with Migo for relatability.
In terms of villains, I prefer SF -- for not having any. The closest we get is either Stonekeeper (rapper Common), who insists on lies to ensure that humans don't massacre yetis like in the old days, or the scared humans who nearly prove him right. They all come around. By contrast, Piggot-Dunceby's obsessive hostility is enough to lose points with his comrades. The villains in A are more credible but ultimately a little scarier, if only for their willingness to murder minors.
Morals? Well, apart from a likely indictment of Piggot-Dunceby's positions, ML preaches against Lionel's insufferable egotism (no wonder he has a hard time keeping partners) and in favor of seeking company outside your own superficial kind. Unfortunately, Lionel doesn't do a whole lot of growing, so he's still pretty annoying in the end. SF, meanwhile, has the obvious messages of not judging a book by its cover and of, y'know, letting everyone read the book unredacted. A is harder to get a bead on beyond "Don't be cruel to animals." Yi does change her ways, spending more time with friends and family and practicing her violin talent, but it's not clear how we might apply her experience to our own.
For diversity, equity, and inclusion, A is easily #1. Despite all three movies being set partly in the Himalayas, only A has major Asian human characters. It also has the strongest female presence. SF at least has Percy's disenchanted Black assistant, Brenda (Yara Shahidi). As for ML, I realize that those were less integrated times, but that's not much of an excuse.
If there's one thing ML does best, it's action sequences, fighting or otherwise. Lionel's never more impressive than when he shows his athleticism. Sometimes the scenario is downright tense, unless you're not willing to suspend that much disbelief. SF narrowly comes in last for this -- arguably the tradeoff of having no villains.
SF does have a quality not found in the competition: It's a musical. Characters sing (or at least rap) several times, and the results aren't bad. I don't remember the scoring or end credit songs, if any, for ML or A.
For pure comedy, my vote goes to SF. It's full of culture clash and the quirks of an imagined nation. Yes, the yetis are pretty dopey, and there is a bathroom gag, but it's presented with relative cleverness and taste. I think the art style enhances the humor. ML goes for more verbal wit, but Laika still hasn't mastered more than chuckles. A tries for sweetness and beauty more often than laughs, with little more than Peng for the latter.
Ultimately, my rankings amount to the same I predicted going in. I like SF most of all, despite its slightly lower ratings across sites. It simply feels like the makers had more fun making it. I can understand if you prefer A, but how did ML end up the one Academy Award nominee?
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