Review by Vives Anunciacion
Happy Feet
Directed by George Miller
Featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams
98 minutes/ GP
Warner Brothers
**** (4 stars)
It started with Madagascar and then with March of the Penguins (locally known as Penguin, Penguin, Paano Ka Ginawa? – by god, who on earth thought of that title), penguins are now officially the cutest animals on earth.
In ice-covered Antarctica, Mumble Happy Feet (Elijah Wood) was born to dance and not to sing. His parents (Norma Jean, voiced by Nicole Kidman, and Memphis, voiced by Hugh Jackman) know that he will find it difficult to fit in with the rest of the penguins in Emperor Land, much less find his true love, if he doesn’t find and sing his heart song. Realizing that Mumble’s oddity can disrupt their harmony, Noah the Elder (Hugo Weaving) banishes Mumble from Emperor Land, accusing him of being the reason why the fish has become scarce.
Travelling across Antarctica in search of his heartsong and the true reason of the fish shortage, Mumble bands with the Adelie Amigos led by the flippy Ramon (Robin Williams) and the Rockhopper penguin Lovelace (also Robin Williams). In the end, Mumble will find whatever he needs and much more, in time to come back to his true love Gloria (Brittany Murphy).
Part National Geographic, part Broadway and American Idol, more than half of the time feeling like it’s the American Music Awards, Happy Feet has showstopper after showstopper of song and dance numbers that will rival any Disney animated musical. Heck, it may already be better than any of them.
The animation is gorgeous, the characters adorable, Robin Williams is side-splittingly funny, Happy Feet’s achilles heel is an ice-thin storyline involving identity crisis, a long search and an abrupt and hurried recital on the disasters of commercial overfishing by aliens (that’s us, humans). Important and relevant may these themes be, they don’t add that many layers to the cake full of icing. Nevertheless, the movie overflows with melodious and hippity-hoppity soul.
Hands down (or should I say, feet up?) the best animation this year. Jump and move and jump and move and stop. You got it?
Happy Feet
Directed by George Miller
Featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams
98 minutes/ GP
Warner Brothers
**** (4 stars)
It started with Madagascar and then with March of the Penguins (locally known as Penguin, Penguin, Paano Ka Ginawa? – by god, who on earth thought of that title), penguins are now officially the cutest animals on earth.
In ice-covered Antarctica, Mumble Happy Feet (Elijah Wood) was born to dance and not to sing. His parents (Norma Jean, voiced by Nicole Kidman, and Memphis, voiced by Hugh Jackman) know that he will find it difficult to fit in with the rest of the penguins in Emperor Land, much less find his true love, if he doesn’t find and sing his heart song. Realizing that Mumble’s oddity can disrupt their harmony, Noah the Elder (Hugo Weaving) banishes Mumble from Emperor Land, accusing him of being the reason why the fish has become scarce.
Travelling across Antarctica in search of his heartsong and the true reason of the fish shortage, Mumble bands with the Adelie Amigos led by the flippy Ramon (Robin Williams) and the Rockhopper penguin Lovelace (also Robin Williams). In the end, Mumble will find whatever he needs and much more, in time to come back to his true love Gloria (Brittany Murphy).
Part National Geographic, part Broadway and American Idol, more than half of the time feeling like it’s the American Music Awards, Happy Feet has showstopper after showstopper of song and dance numbers that will rival any Disney animated musical. Heck, it may already be better than any of them.
The animation is gorgeous, the characters adorable, Robin Williams is side-splittingly funny, Happy Feet’s achilles heel is an ice-thin storyline involving identity crisis, a long search and an abrupt and hurried recital on the disasters of commercial overfishing by aliens (that’s us, humans). Important and relevant may these themes be, they don’t add that many layers to the cake full of icing. Nevertheless, the movie overflows with melodious and hippity-hoppity soul.
Hands down (or should I say, feet up?) the best animation this year. Jump and move and jump and move and stop. You got it?
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