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“Happy Feet”
Nov. 17, 2006
Warner Brothers
***
Elijah Wood’s voice is actually one of the most annoying facets of his acting. So how he worked out to be the great star of “Happy Feet,” I don’t know. But as the main character, Mumble, Wood leads this CG adventure tale of penguins with style alongside other well-knowns including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy, Hugo Weaving, a cameo by the late Steve Irwin, and the always fun voice of Robin Williams, once the Genie of Disney’s “Aladdin.”
The plot revolves around Mumble being born with a gift equivalent to penguin tap dancing. This is an anomaly as the rest of his species use song to mate. The film is somewhat reminiscent of Baz Luhrman’s “Moulin Rouge” in that it takes popular songs and restructures them for penguin performance. Not to give away too much, but the film includes Queen’s “Somebody to Love” and Sir Mixalot’s “Baby Got Back” with slightly altered lyrics suitable for the mouths of penguins and the minds of PG- movie-going children.
While it’s nice to see an animated film stretch beyond the standard 80- or 90-minute mark, the plot sometimes feels drawn out as Mumble goes back and forth multiple times from his home to other areas. Then again, I’m reviewing a movie about penguins. And not Morgan Freeman’s documentary penguins, but animated, singing, dancing, wiseass penguins. What’s important are the fun dance sequences, the cute penguins, the great songs, and the generally funny jokes led by Williams. Is it the next “Toy Story?” No. But what CGI film is? Take “Happy Feet” for what it’s meant to be – a fun little number perfect for families, dates and the like during this holiday season.
Bangor Daily News