 |  | Get Showtimes... |
Review #323 of 365
Movie Review of Happy Feet IMAX® (2006) [PG] 98 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $14.25
Where Viewed: United Artists Colorado Center 9 & IMAX, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 30 November 2006
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Directed by: George Miller (Babe: Pig in the City)
Written by: Warren Coleman, John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), George Miller (Babe: Pig in the City), and Judy Morris (Babe: Pig in the City)
Choreography by: Savion Glover
Featured Voice Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Elijah Wood (Everything Is Illuminated) • Brittany Murphy (Sin City) • Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) • Nicole Kidman (Bewitched) • Hugo Weaving (V for Vendetta) • Robin Williams (Man of the Year) • Johnny A. Sanchez (Pauly Shore Is Dead) • Carlos Alazraqui ("Handy Manny") • Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show") • Steve Irwin (Dr. Dolittle 2) • Nicholas McKay ("Farscape")
Soundtrack: order the CD below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Warning, this second review of Happy Feet will include plot spoilers. If you do not wish to have the plot spoiled, please read the first review (click here) only.
A second viewing of Happy Feet affords avid fans of animated films an opportunity to pay more attention to the incredible animation artistry of the film, especially if one is fortunate enough to view it on IMAX® -- sadly, not IMAX® 3D, but still it's incredible on the gigantic screen. Moreover, the prominent social themes have more time to percolate and pop. Previously, I had written that Happy Feet is one of the most powerful and compelling social allegories of recent times, and the second time through only reaffirmed this conclusion.
The Animation:
Absolutely stunning landscapes, thousands of penguins, near photo-realistic humans and animals, no detail has been spared in creating the Antarctic world of Happy Feet. Never before can I recall so many animated characters on screen at the same time and each one with personality. It's difficult, even upon a second viewing to capture it all visually and to comprehend the enormity of the project. Surely, some master technique was used to duplicate the penguins on the periphery multiple times; but, still, the effect is as wondrous and inspiring as it is mind-boggling. The animators did a splendid job also of endowing each star penguin with unique personality traits—of course, the voice talents helped as well. Aside from some great action sequences which were energetic and fun, there is a truly mesmerizing and beautiful scene where Gloria sings on the equivalent of high school prom night to here graduation class of penguins on a floating iceberg under the southern lights that will haunt me with its beauty for years to come. The animators have truly pushed the limits of the technology with this film and created a tale that will survive the ages and endure as one of the next great children's classic.
The Story:
Much has been written and said on various news media regarding the story behind the story of Happy Feet. Just as I suggested, in my previous review, in anticipation for such dialogue. The surface story involved the misfit penguin, a sort of ugly duckling if you will, whose talent is for dancing rather than the socially acceptable singing of his flock, who nearly single handedly stops the over fishing of the shores of Antarctica thereby restoring the balance of nature and the food chain which had been disrupted by over fishing by humans. Yet there is far more underlying this simple tale, one which some less agile thinkers have said is a knock off of March of the Penguins. Hardly, and how anyone could arrive at such a conclusion is way beyond me. Nonetheless, Happy Feet is chock full of important social messages and that different is good is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. The penguin, Mumble a.k.a. Happy Feet, is a dancing penguin in a world that only values the singing penguin. He is treated like an outcast from nearly the moment he hatches. He is ostracized, prevented from 'graduating' with his class, held back, made fun of, and ultimately demonized and banished from the colony by the overseer of the flock. Any member of a socially outcast, underprivileged, discriminated against group in the USA will relate to his story. They may also relate to the religious overtones of the elders of the flock used to justify the discrimination. They may also relate to the conversations with parents who try to convert them back to simpler ways and/or deprogram them, and ultimately take blame for them turning out 'wrong'. Carl Sagan wrote about these notions in one of his last books, The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark where he worried that the tide was turning against science, that people were returning to religion for answers to nature, and answers, ultimately that must be based on faith versus scientific analysis and evidence. He worried that this regression would stifle human discovery and the potential scientific advances of the next generation. In this film, the religiously motivated leader of Mumble's flock persists in blaming Mumble's dancing for causing a decline in the fish population. When, in fact, the decline is due to over-fishing by humans. In the end, it is Mumble's dancing which draws humans to investigate the population of penguins where they discover and then debate a withdrawal from the area and a restoration of the fish populations. The negative impact on the earth due to human, irresponsible activity is a prominent theme. These are all themes to which progressive, socially and ecologically assertive parents and guardians would want their children exposed. Hopefully, the others would be open-minded enough to allow their offspring the opportunity to see and make up his or her own mind.
All in all, Happy Feet is a tremendously entertaining film with a great moral imperative based on the ideal of equality in social justice. There are some very intense scenes where a nasty leopard seal attacks and tries to eat the penguins as well as one where Mumble narrowly escapes the onslaught of two orcas (killer whales). It might be good to prep younger audience members to these things prior to seeing the film.
All in all, Happy Feet is a tremendously entertaining film with a great moral imperative based on the ideal of equality in social justice. There are some very intense scenes where a nasty leopard seal attacks and tries to eat the penguins as well as one where Mumble narrowly escapes the onslaught of two orcas (killer whales). It might be good to prep younger audience members to these things prior to seeing the film.
Back to Top | W.I.P. Scale™ | Most Recently Reviewed Films | Films of 2005 | Films of 2006
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Happy Feet (2006)
Voice Cast Members
Elijah Wood
• Brittany Murphy• Hugh JackmanNicole Kidman
• Hugo Weaving• Robin WilliamsJohnny A. Sanchez
• Carlos Alazraqui• Lombardo BoyarSteve Irwin
• Nicholas McKayDirector
George Miller
Co-Writers
John Collee
• Judy Morris| CD Soundtrack | DVD | VHS |
| Related Toy | Related Book | Related Book |
| Related VG | Related Apparel | Related Toy |
| Related Toy | Related Calendar | Related Product |
Happy Feet (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Happy Feet follows the life of Mumble the penguin (Elijah Wood) from his hatching when it is discovered he cannot sing and has no hope of finding a mate, to the revelation that he can tap dance up a storm thanks to the animated choreography of Savion Glover, to his ostracism and banishment from the flock, through nasty attacks by Orcas, humans, leopard seals, and other perils Mumble must survive before safely returning to his flock to share the cause of the declining fish population falsely attributed to his dance moves. The story represents one of the most powerful social allegories of the decade on the dangers of group-think and hate mongering toward those in a society who are different from the 'desired' norms. Stunning animation, talented voice acting, John Powell music, Glover dance moves, all add up to making Happy Feet only subtle shades of perfection away from Cars.
No comments:
Post a Comment