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Every winter, it’s the same thing for the Emperor Penguins: while the females go off in search of food, the males stay behind to take care of the eggs. But when Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) leaves Memphis (Hugh Jackman) behind, things don’t go exactly as planned. Memphis drops their egg—and he almost loses it. He’s worried that he may have hurt the baby—especially when all the other baby penguins hatch, and he’s left with an egg. But then, finally, his son breaks out of his shell.
Right from the beginning, there’s something different about Mumble (Elijah Wood). He’s a wiggly little guy who taps his feet a lot. He just can’t seem to stand still—and Memphis finds it embarrassing. And when Mumble goes to school to learn his heart song—the song that Emperor Penguins sing to help them find their mate—Mumble discovers that he’s the only penguin who can’t sing at all. All he can do is dance.
Because he can’t sing, Mumble becomes an outcast. The penguin elders are even convinced that Mumble is to blame for the disappearance of the fish they eat. So, determined to finally help his fellow penguins and be accepted as one of them, Mumble goes in search of a solution to their problem.
From all the TV commercials and marketing tie-ins that you’ve undoubtedly seen, you probably think that Happy Feet is a cute, Disney-esque, song-and-dance-filled animated movie about someone who’s different who gains acceptance in the end. And you’d be right—but only for a while. In the beginning, it’s a lovable yet strangely New Age-y penguin musical, with cuddly characters and a predictable yet totally acceptable plot. But then things get really strange. The cute characters and fun (though a little bit odd) musical numbers fade away, and they’re replaced with heavy religious and political undertones. Mumble goes on a serious journey (with his previously far-from-serious new friends) to find himself—and to save his fellow penguins from the consequences of human greed. The second half of the movie is a downer. And even the bizarre and somewhat positive ending can’t save it.
Not only is the story really strange, but it’s pretty scary, too. While slightly older children may enjoy it (if they’re able to see beyond the depressing parts), small children might be scared. Bring them if you must, but there’s a good chance you’ll end up carrying a small, crying child out of the theater before the movie’s over.
While the animation in Happy Feet is magnificent, the rest of the movie is just plain weird. If you’ve got a little extra time to kill over your kids’ Thanksgiving break, and you want to take them to a movie that’s just good, old-fashioned animated fun, stick with Flushed Away.
