Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

FILM REVIEW: 'Happy Feet' features unbearable amounts of cuteness
By Tarek Karkoutly
Daily Toreador (Texas Tech)
11/20/2006

(U-WIRE) LUBBOCK, Texas — Director George Miller ("Mad Max," "Babe: Pig In The City") has delivered something entirely thoughtful and charming with his latest animated epic, "Happy Feet." It's known to some as "March Of The Penguins: The Musical," yet known to millions of moviegoers as one of the most adorable movies ever to freeze itself at the No. 1 slot at the box office

Now we've all got "Happy Feet."

Surprisingly enough, the story behind this gathering of musically gifted penguins proves to be a place of distress for the peculiar penguin Mumble, whose visible talent lies within his two-stepping webbed feet.

Mumble wants nothing more than to fit in with the rest of the gang, a group whose members choose to classify the younger penguins' potential by their ability to sing, which in Mumble's case is nothing more than a ghastly brittle squeal.

The routine of both every male and female penguin in the community is based upon finding a desired mate. Yet, unbeknownst to us human aliens, these penguins attract their mates by the seductive quality of song, and every penguin alive has a delicate song in his or her heart.

Most of the songs shared throughout the hearts of this community are original re-recordings of famous artists such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Earth Wind and Fire, Queen and Stevie Wonder that have been re-orchestrated by composer Jamal-Ski.

Mumble's attempts to fit in land him in several rejected relationships, which leave him alone and in search of new friends. The only penguin in the community offering any sort of affectionate support is a potential love interest named Gloria (Brittany Murphy).

The goings-on in this penguin community closely mimic the narrative of the documentary "March Of The Penguins." It can be described best as a harvest cycle taken in turn between husband and wife to gather food for their newborns. Yet a tragedy has been discovered in this penguin community: Because of huge ice-breaker fishing vessels, there is a shortage of fish. Mumble discovers one of these vessels while escaping the clutches of a hideous sea otter and is then determined to find out who is leading this group.

Robin Williams furnishes his voicing talent to a number of characters, including, most notably, the plump spiritual guru of the Arctic named Lovelace. Lovelace believes he carries unique powers given to him by a special necklace that was placed on his neck by aliens. The "necklace" is actually a plastic soda can holder, which could provide a few hints as to what type of species these aliens might be.

One day this special necklace begins to clasp a little too tightly to Lovelace's neck, which sets Mumble and a group of mini-penguins from another penguin community out on a journey to find these aliens and save Lovelace's life.

We get a little taste of voice-talent nostalgia knowing that the newborn Mumble's voice was created by the likes of E.G. Daily, famous for voicing Tommy on Nickelodeon's "Rugrats." You'll probably recognize her best as Pee-Wee Herman's love interest, Dottie, in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

Yet, Mumble's voice as an adolescent — and beyond — was provided by the likes of Elijah Wood, whom we all know has mastered the art of playing the exiled-outcast-turned-lovable creature. Other notable characters include Mumble's parents, the notorious double-finned Elvis impersonator named Memphis (Hugh Jackman) and the heavy-breathing, whispery likeness of Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman).

There's even a reserved place in the film for the masked talent of Hugo Weaving, who provides an Irish dialect voicing an antagonistic elder penguin named Noah. The most surprising voice talent involved is that of the recently departed Crocodile Hunter himself, Steve Irwin, who provides the voice for an Australian sea otter named Kev.

Overall, the screenplay, which was written by George Miller, John Collee, Warren Coleman and Judy Moris, is a rather familiar format affiliated with most animated features. Still, there is nothing more pure and enjoyable than the constant adorableness of seeing a group of newborn penguins move their feet to Stevie Wonder's "I Wish."

The early scene of a young Mumble toe-tapping his way across the ice while flapping his fins back and fourth in amusement purely defines the endless ride of action-packed adventure that awaits a melody-loving penguin community in search of endless harmony. In other words, "Happy Feet" is the most adorable movie ever made.

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