Happy Feet Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)November 15th, 2006
HAPPY FEET
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
Since you went gaga over the penguin documentary (MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, last year's surprise, big indie hit), Hollywood figured that an animated musical featuring the cuddly creatures would have to be a huge success. HAPPY FEET, however, even if it does have a great title, is more like a laughless version of ICE AGE than it is MARCH OF THE PENGUINS. I'll go out on a limb with a prediction that once kids have seen it in the theaters, it's nearly all-singing format won't have them eager to own the DVD, especially since the musical choices, sung only in snippets, are weird and eclectic.
What HAPPY FEET does have going for it is the sharply drawn animation that we've come to expect computers to produce. Especially well done are the elephant seals. Of course, the realism can also work against the movie. You'll see this in the frightening sequences of some predators with very sharp teeth who view the penguins as little more than dinner. The movie's targeted demographics of little tykes could well be quite scared by some of these images.
Rich with voice talent (Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy and Hugo Weaving), the movie is unable to use any of them to any advantage. The problem in casting a movie full of penguins is that they all look alike. Sure the animators try a few tricks, such as giving only the lead, Mumble (voiced by Wood), blue eyes, but generally the penguins all look and sound alike.
The story, which is as thin as ice, concern's Mumble's unique talent mix. We learn that all penguins, with the sole exception of Mumble, are naturally gifted vocalists. Poor Mumble can't sing a lick, but, boy, can he tap dance. Watching an animated animal tap his heart away is enjoyable for maybe five minutes, but, after that, don't be surprised if you find yourself wishing that something would happen or at least some character would be given some decent dialog.
Of course, the last act is given over to a sappy sermon on the evils of humankind. It turns out that we eat some of the same food that the penguins do, so we need to stop that since they apparently have a higher claim on it. Nothing is said about the animals who view the penguins themselves as food.
Finally, with such a paper-thin plot, why did the movie have to run on for 108 long minutes. Thirty minutes less would have been much more palatable.
HAPPY FEET runs 1:48. It is rated PG for "some mild peril and rude humor" and would be acceptable for kids around 7 and up.
My nephew William and my niece Liana, ages 12 and 9 respectively, both gave the movie ****. They didn't really seem to have any real favorite parts. On the way home in the car, they never talked about the movie again, thus reinforcing my belief that the movie's appeal is limited and won't last long.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, November 17, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
