Happy Feet (2006)

"...stupendous...the best dancing you'll see on the screen this year.  David Edelstein, New York Magazine
"...giddily brilliant entertainment...toe-tapping music.  Desson Thomson, Washington Post
"In the year of the animated movie, this one soars above them all.  Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
"...not only the year's best animated movie, it's one of the year's best movies, period.  Lou Lumenick, New York Post
"...a gorgeously rendered marvel...a smart and surprisingly deep story.  Tasha Robinson, The Onion A.V. Club

Editor's Note Set in the strange and beautiful world first explored in the 2005 documentary MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, George Miller's HAPPY FEET tells the story of Mumble (Elijah Wood), a tone-deaf Emperor Penguin who is unable to sing his "heart song," the ritual required to win a mate (in this case, his beloved Gloria, voiced by Brittany Murphy). The fact that Mumble is a terrific tap dancer is completely lost on his tribe, and he spends a rather lonely adolescence as an outsider. His hero's journey involves both discovering his own innate coolness, and, more importantly, solving the mystery of the dwindling supply of edible fish in the ocean. As the latter plot takes over, the film shifts from a touching story of self-belief, to a more urgent ecological plea, but all the themes converge when Mumble's special talent saves the day. The film is a triumph of striking CGI animation, with every frame celebrating the vast and breathtaking purity of Antarctica's tundras, snowscapes, icebergs, and waters, as well as its wildlife. The musical numbers--drawing on pop hits of the last 30 years--were choreographed by Savion Glover, and revel in the joyful if slightly limited physicality of the bottom-heavy penguins. While some scary scenes of predation may be too much for very young children, this is an inspiring tale that is suitable for the whole family.

	Brittany Murphy - Voice Of
	Christian Gazal - Editor
	David Nelson - Art Director
	E.G. Daily - Voice Of
	Elijah Wood - Voice Of
	George Miller - Director
	Hugh Jackman - Voice Of
	Hugo Weaving - Voice Of
	John Powell - Original Music By
	Matthew Ferro, et. al. - Producer
	Nicole Kidman - Voice Of
	Robin Williams - Voice Of
	Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin - Voice Of
	Warren Coleman, et. al. - Writer

New York Times
"The feet in the title of George Miller's new film shuffle and stomp with glorious syncopation..." 11/17/2006 p.E12

Entertainment Weekly
"[A] musically wacky, ecologically activist CG family comedy..." 11/24/2006 p.84

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "It's MOULIN ROUGE with flippers, the jukebox constantly jumping as tap-happy misfit Mumble tries to find his singing voice." 02/01/2007 p.41

Sight and Sound
"HAPPY FEET is the first Hollywood animated feature that really evokes the feeling of a live-action spectacular throughout its running time....The film is packed with wildly spinning camerawork." 02/01/2007 p.56-57

ReelViews 8 of 10
Happy Feet is a weird movie. No one can accuse director George Miller and his co-writers of playing it safe, but there are some genres - such as family-friendly animation - where adherence to conventions can be viewed as a positive trait. 75 minutes into the 105-minute movie, I thought I was watching the first great animated film since The Incredibles. The final half-hour disabused me of that notion. Taken in total, Happy Feet contains enough solid entertainment to be worth the price of admission, but the production's last act self-inflicted wounds do irreparable damage to what is an otherwise fine motion picture...It's fair to note that many of the elements that bothered me about the film aren't going to be noticed by the under-10 target audience, and there are plenty of things sprinkled throughout for adults to enjoy. - James Berardinelli

Reel.com 8 of 10
Who would have thought that the director of the violent revenge flick Mad Max would go on to create some of the most charming children's films since Walt Disney? After co-writing and producing the delightful Babe and directing its equally inventive sequel, Australian filmmaker George Miller has entered the world of computer animation with his latest fantasy, the odd but endearing musical Happy Feet. While the film lacks Babe's emotional depth and might not appeal to older viewers in the same way, its vibrant digital images and overall good cheer are enough to recommend it...Like Disney and Steven Spielberg before him, Miller clearly loves children and knows what entertains them, and his affection for both his audience and the filmmaking process is infectious. - Jim Hemphill