Movie review: Happy Feet

[Judy G. Russell]

Happy Feet is the story of a penguin who couldn't sing but could dance. And even if you have small kids who LOVE penguins, my vote is: give it a pass.

The images are very close to a rip-off of the documentary March of the Penguins from last year, the story isn't compelling, it has a truly silly ending (and I say that despite the fact that it's a lovely environmental ending that nobody out of diapers would believe would ever be possible for more than a nanosecond), the animation isn't particularly good, there is at least one scene that will scare the pants off the toddler aged set...

Go rent March of the Penguins instead.

[earler]

Rather the original french version. Better script and better music than the american version, which was dumbed down.

-er

[Judy G. Russell]

Rather the original french version. Better script and better music than the american version, which was dumbed down. I somehow suspect there's not a whole lot of market for a kids' film in the United States that's in French.

[Lindsey]

Happy Feet is the story of a penguin who couldn't sing but could dance. And even if you have small kids who LOVE penguins, my vote is: give it a pass.
I did like the characters, though. Especially the little penguins with the Spanish accents, and I thought giving the head Emperor penguine a Scottish accent and giving him a hunch in his back was pretty clever.

--Lindsey

[earler]

Well, the kids should know french, as do mine and their children, too. Mind you, the film was designed to please both adults and children. For adults the french version is much better. For small children it doesn't make much difference.

-er

[Judy G. Russell]

I did like the characters, though. Especially the little penguins with the Spanish accents, and I thought giving the head Emperor penguine a Scottish accent and giving him a hunch in his back was pretty clever.I looooooved the Spanish penguins... but the "everything's going to be just dandy" ending was ridiculous.

[Judy G. Russell]

Well, the kids should know french, as do mine and their children, too.What in the world for? These days, French and a dollar and a half won't even buy a cup of coffee. If you want children to know a world language that's useful, try Chinese.

[earler]

Alas, it is true that french is only the 9th most important language today (in the number of people who speak it natively). But, culturewise it remains significant. My granddaughter is studying latin, spanish, french and english this year and will add greek next year. It might be a good idea if she does chinese later on, too. (She will be 14 in april.) Of course, she has math, physics, history, and technology classes, too.

I might add that education is more than just learning a trade, i.e. something useful.

-er

[Judy G. Russell]

Alas, it is true that french is only the 9th most important language today (in the number of people who speak it natively). Old data. It's 11th, according to either Weber (1997) or Comrie (1998). Chinese, Hindi and Arabic are all growing by leaps and bounds, as is Spanish.

[Lindsey]

but the "everything's going to be just dandy" ending was ridiculous.
Well, yeah, but in a movie for kids you can't exactly have the penguins starving out and going extinct! (Of course, I guess they could have made it like Bambi, and have Mumble's mother or girlfriend eaten by a leopard seal, or killed by the propeller blade of a fishing boat or something.)

Incidently the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Feet) on "Happy Feet" attributes the similarity to the "March of the Penguins" to the fact that both are driven by the natural life cycle of Emperor penguins, since both movies were in production before any details of either of them were announced.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Well, yeah, but in a movie for kids you can't exactly have the penguins starving out and going extinct! (Of course, I guess they could have made it like Bambi, and have Mumble's mother or girlfriend eaten by a leopard seal, or killed by the propeller blade of a fishing boat or something.)It could have been left more ambiguous, with Mumble able to get his point across to the scientists, perhaps, and then ... well... I dunno.

Incidently the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Feet) on "Happy Feet" attributes the similarity to the "March of the Penguins" to the fact that both are driven by the natural life cycle of Emperor penguins, since both movies were in production before any details of either of them were announced.I find that a bit hard to believe. It's the imagery that is so strikingly similar. But then I don't know what might have been available to the Happy Feet folks other than March of the Penguins and the images it was based on.

[Lindsey]

I find that a bit hard to believe. It's the imagery that is so strikingly similar. But then I don't know what might have been available to the Happy Feet folks other than March of the Penguins and the images it was based on.
I haven't seen March of the Penguins, so I can't really say. But if you're going to have a highly visually realistic cartoon, I guess it's not a surprise that it's a lot like real images.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

I haven't seen March of the Penguins, so I can't really say. But if you're going to have a highly visually realistic cartoon, I guess it's not a surprise that it's a lot like real images.March of the Penguins was a very well done documentary. When you have some time, pick it up at the local rental place.

[Lindsey]

March of the Penguins was a very well done documentary. When you have some time, pick it up at the local rental place.
I've been intending to do that for quite some time, now; just haven't managed to set aside the time for it. The only reason I saw "Happy Feet" is that I went with Stu's kids when they were up here over Thankgiving. We saw it on the IMAX screen at the science museum. It's a wonderful movie for IMAX!

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

I've been intending to do that for quite some time, now; just haven't managed to set aside the time for it. The only reason I saw "Happy Feet" is that I went with Stu's kids when they were up here over Thankgiving. We saw it on the IMAX screen at the science museum. It's a wonderful movie for IMAX!It would be good for IMAX. (Except for the stooooooopid ending.) Then again I think just about anything is good on IMAX!

[Lindsey]

It would be good for IMAX. (Except for the stooooooopid ending.) Then again I think just about anything is good on IMAX!
I will have to agree that the ending was pretty lame. It leaves you thinking, "All that long movie just to get to this?" But I enjoyed the music, and on IMAX, anyway, it was visually breathtaking.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

But I enjoyed the music, and on IMAX, anyway, it was visually breathtaking.Yeah, IMAX can make just about anything look and sound spectacular.