Happy Feet Review
by Tim Voon (winklebeck AT hotmail DOT com)January 3rd, 2007
Happy Feet (2006)
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 2006 Timothy Voon
3.5 out of 5 stars
Cast (voices): Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy, Hugo Weaving
It is refreshing to finally see a C.G.U. film this year that is worthy of mention. 'Happy Feet' deserves all the praise and box office earnings that it is reaping at the moment.
Sure, it follows a common theme of being different is o.k. In fact, being different is good and should not be frowned on. After all, some of our most famous artists, composers, inventors and authors were very different from the norm. 'Happy Feet' gives warning in one of its advertising captions, that this movie can cause a bad case of feet exhaustion from tapping. Sure enough, I did find myself tapping my feet through the movie at some very catchy tunes both old and new.
'Mumbo' (Elijah Wood) is our young penguin hero. He is unable to sing well like all the other Penguins, but has an amazing ability to tap dance and has a very big 'heart'. He also doesn't look like the other Penguins, in fact he is a bit of a mutant - he hasn't fully malted his baby feathers and thus has kept his baby Penguin face and blue eyes. Yes, Mumbo is very cute. I can see kids just wanting to pick him up and cuddle him. I'm sure that he has sold well as a soft toy this Christmas.
The whose who of movie business are all in this movie. In fact there's a very large Australian cast, Hugh Jacman, Nicle Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Magda Szubanski, thanks to director George Miller. I am unsure if the cast provide both the speaking voices and the singing voices, but both are good.
The C.G.U. animation is a highlight. I really felt like I was in Antartica and some of the scenes of Penguins huddling together in a snowstorm are reminiscent of those seen in 'March of the Penguins'; which is another great penguin feature. The scenes of penguins snowboarding down ice caverns, causing an avalanche, diving into the sea, being chased by leopard seals, being tossed like toys by killer whales are some of the most enjoyable action animation that I have seen. Throw in the catchy music and singing and we have a very successful penguin feature.
I don't think I have enjoyed an animation film as much as this one since 'Finding Nemo' was released. I hope that the major movie studios will stop making awful C.G.U. animation flicks like the oversupply of crap churned out this year (Flushed Away being the worst of the bunch), and put more thought into what they are making. 'Happy Feet' will leave a smile on your face, one way or another.
Timothy Voon
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