![]() Mumble is just too different-especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Though Mumble's mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. However, Mumble has an astute talent for something that none of the penguins had ever seen before: tap dancing. ![]() Happy Feet does have its periodic attacks of the cutes, but it’s so tightly packed and freshly executed that you might not notice.ĭirector: George Miller, Warren Coleman Writer: George Miller, John Collee Stars: Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman Summary: This is the story of a little penguin named Mumble who has a terrible singing voice and later discovers he has no Heartsong. Most of all though, amid the punchily delivered song chosen for their hooky tunefulness, and the wisecracks and pop-culture references, this is first and foremost a really well animated film, with some real standout sequences, such as one where the near-anatomically correct penguins swim underwater in what looks like ballet, synchronised swimming and Busby Berkeley all combined. It’s a fast-moving package of song and dance aimed as much at the mums and dads (Earth, Wind and Fire, Beach Boys, Queen, Gypsy Kings on the soundtrack) as the kids (Pink, TLC, Gia Farrell) and at first it looks like a surprising change of direction for director George Miller, though if the Mad Max films weren’t energetic pop videos in look and choreography, then what were they? And he directed Babe too, let’s not forget. ![]() Robin Williams sets hyperactivity on fire in two roles, plus narrator (agnostics might find this an overload), while Brittany Murphy voices Gloria, the girl penguin too spooked by Mumble’s difference to find him attractive. The voice talent is strong – Nicole Kidman all breath as Norma Jean, the mother of Mumble who fell for his dad, Memphis (voiced by Hugh Jackman with Elvis “uh-huh”) after he sang her Heartbreak Hotel. This message is stated, rather than insisted upon, this understatement matching the eco-message, which is simply delivered rather than hammered home. He’s different, get over it – the entire thrust of the film. And off the sorry little fellow hops, eventually taking up with another band of penguins, with Mexican (surely not) accents, who see Mumble for what he is, rather than what he isn’t. ![]() His mum thinks it’s cute, his dad thinks it’s suspect whereas the stern community Elder, Noah (voice: Hugo Weaving), takes the view that it’s Mumble’s difference that has caused fish stocks to dwindle – and so banishes him. ![]() Except for one, the hero of our fable, called Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood), who has “happy feet” instead – he’s got the sort of dance moves you might expect from Sammy Davis Jr. Emperor penguins, it seems, all have a special song that they use in courtship. And unlike a lot of animated films about animals, this one sets its stall out really quickly. A CGI animation featuring penguins which comes along in the wake of March of the Penguins, so it’s probably pushing at an open door. ![]()
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