“Happy Feet" (Warner Brothers)
Dance of the Penguins
The documentary “March of the Penguins” was one of last year’s big movies. As a result, what better way to assure the success of a movie than to make it about penguins. So now we get an animated film entitled “Happy Feet” which is the story of a dancing penguin. Some big name actors lend their voices and the film has the potential to be a monster hit, even in a year with way too many animated films on view.
The film starts with the meeting of Memphis (Hugh Jackman) and Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman). They are two penguins living at the South Pole. They fall in love and decide to spend their lives together (penguins are monogamous). Eventually they have a son who they call Mumbles (Elijah Woods).
Most penguins can sing, and find their mates through their songs. But Mumbles can’t sing. All he can do is dance. He has “happy feet” that beat out a staccato rhythm on the snow and ice. The elders of the penguin tribe where he lives are shocked and brand his dancing an affront to their society.
The plight of Mumbles and his dancing feet are the main part of the film. As long as this is the focus the film is fun. Towards the end, however, the story takes a turn for the serious as Mumbles attempts to save the penguin population from starvation. He seeks out the aliens (humans) who are taking away all the fish.
Once the story gets serious the film bogs down. It needs those “happy feet” to get tapping once more so the lighthearted tone of the film can return.
Elijah Wood is very good as Mumbles and Brittany Murphy is good as his potential love interest Gloria. Kidman and Jackman are wasted as Mumble’s parents. Still every movie needs something special and the extra something in this movie is Robin Williams. He supplies the voices of Ramon, Lovelace and Cletus and he is brilliant with each one. He can make funny lines hysterical, and hysterical lines show stoppers.
The film is rated PG for some mildly scary sequences involving ferocious sea animals.
If “Happy Feet” had stayed light on its feet the movie would have been better. It is when it gets serious about saving the planet, or at least the penguins, that it sinks into heavy handed seriousness. Better it should have had more musical numbers and less preaching. Leave that to Al Gore.
Savion Glover delivered the dance moves for Mumbles, and Elijah Wood gave him a voice. Still it is Mumbles sweetness and charm that make him so endearing. He is the star of the film, and as long as those happy feet are tapping the movie is a winner.
I scored “Happy Feet” a toe tapping 6 out of 10.
