robyn millarReview of Happy Feet
January 25th 2007 00:52
The all singing, all dancing, answer to overfishing.
Happy Feet (2006)
Directed: George Miller
Written: Warren Coleman, John Collee, George Miller and Judy Morris
Voices of: Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Robin Williams
There are times when a movie tries so hard to make a point that it forgets to tell a story, and unfortunately the otherwise promising Happy Feet falls victim to the very arguments it is trying to make.
Following the exploits of tone deaf but tap happy emperor penguin Mumble (Elijah Wood) and his quest to discover the aliens who have been taking all the fish (no really that's the long and the short of it), this movie takes itself and its issues of environmentalism and individualism so far that the viewer feels that they're on the underside of an ecological fire and brimstone pulpit. This isn't to say that the not important issues - they are, and they become more so every day, but some of like a little subtlety in our storylines.
While well made and generally well acted (Robin Williams naturally steals the show, while Nicole Kidman's Marilyn Monroe impression did nothing for me), the movie suffers from a chronic lack of plot, a seriousness that just doesn't work in a kids movie and the overwhelming sensation that one is being hit over the head by a GreenPeace sign.
Save the Penguins, not the dancing Penguins
5/10
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Im a huge animation fan and personally thought it looked like it should only run half an hour...I mean how much Penguin Karaoke can one man stand?
Comment by Anonymous