Directed by: George Miller
Premise: An animated film about a community of
penguins living in the Antarctic who find their mates through song. Mumble
(voice of Elijah Wood) becomes an object of ridicule when he comes of age and
cannot sing but impulsively tap dances. Labeled as an outcast, Mumble is blamed
for the lack of fish stocks in the local water, and he sets out on a journey to
discover the truth
What Works: Happy Feet is an amusing mix of March
of the Penguins, Footloose,
and Swan Lake. The animation in the film is incredible in places,
particularly in the rendering of the environments. Some of the sequences and
characters, such as the Killer Whales, look photorealistic and often complement
the music sequences. The songs borrow from the stylings of Moulin
Rouge! and the film is able to do quite well with this, using the songs
dramatically to advance character and plot and using them for humorous purposes.
Robin Williams is featured as one of the voice of several characters and be
brings his manic energy to film, giving it a boost when the story needs it the
most. His fast delivery plays on double entendres that will speak to the adults
but go over the heads of most of the children in the audience.
What Doesn’t: The story of Happy Feet is
muddled between two narratives. The film starts as an ugly duckling story in
which Mumble attempts to resolve his differences with the community. Halfway
through the film, the story abandons this narrative line and becomes a hero’s
journey into the unknown. Neither one of these storylines are particularly well
done because they are incomplete. The community’s acceptance of Mumbles
deviance is spontaneous and unearned and the journey that he takes does not have
any trauma or revelation. The ending is a deus ex machina solution to
the conflict that resolves the conflicts through a cop out rather than a
dramatically sound conclusion.
Bottom Line: Happy Feet is not the best
animated film to come along recently, but it is not the worst either. Adults and
their children will probably enjoy the film, although some of the grownups who
are not as easily amused might be a little disappointed.