Happy Feet (2006)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Directors:

George Miller
Warren Coleman (co-director)

Writers:

Warren Coleman (writer)
John Collee (writer)

Release Date:

17 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Musical

Tagline:

WARNING: May Cause Toe-Tapping.

Plot:

Into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce!

Plot Keywords:

Father Son Relationship | Computer Animation | Dance | CGI Film | Animal Attack

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Carlos Alazraqui	...	Nestor (voice)
Lombardo Boyar	...	Raul (voice)
Jeffrey Garcia	...	Rinaldo (voice) (as Jeff Garcia)
Johnny A. Sanchez	...	Lombardo (voice) (as Johnny Sanchez III)
Robin Williams	...	Ramon / Lovelace (voice)
Elijah Wood	...	Mumble (voice)
Brittany Murphy	...	Gloria (voice)
Hugh Jackman	...	Memphis (voice)
Nicole Kidman	...	Norma Jean (voice)
Hugo Weaving	...	Noah the Elder (voice)
Elizabeth Daily	...	Baby Mumble (voice) (as E.G. Daily)
Magda Szubanski	...	Miss Viola (voice)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mrs. Astrakhan (voice)
Fat Joe	...	Seymour (voice)
Alyssa Shafer	...	Baby Gloria (voice)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild peril and rude humor.

Runtime:

109 min | USA:108 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES

Certification:

Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | USA:PG (certificate #43018) | Netherlands:MG6 | UK:U | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Hong Kong:I | Peru:PT | Finland:K-7 | Australia:G | Sweden:7 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/4 (Qualidade) | Portugal:M/6 (original version) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | New Zealand:G | New Zealand:PG (re-rating) | New Zealand:PG

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Kingdom Feature Productions

Trivia:

When Gloria and Mumbles are tumbling around on the ice after emerging from the water, they briefly slide into a penguin mating position (with Gloria on her belly and Mumbles behind her).

Goofs:

Continuity: While Baby Mumble is with the Skuas, a small black bow can be seen on Mumble's chest. However, when Mumble falls into the crack in the ice, the bow disappears. When the birds fly away, Mumble rolls to the side and begins to cry, with his bow visible again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lovelace: [narrating Memphis and Norma Jean] His Mom and Dad met in the usual way, the song became love, and love became the egg.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Surf's Up (2007)

Soundtrack:

Cui Cui

Impressive, Expressive and Delightful for all ages

Rarely do I enjoy animated films these days: I find the animation (mostly computer generated) to be colorful but banal, and the action angles are selected by the programmer's eye, not the way a natural observer would have seen the shot (like we saw in classic cell animation of years past). "Happy Feet" is different. The combination of rotoscoping (now advanced motion capture), intense attention to detail and organic POV make this film extraordinarily enjoyable to watch. The sound quality was top-notch, and the music loads of fun for anyone with a pulse. The character voices from Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Hugh Jackman, and others was perfectly matched to their characterizations. Savion Glover's performance as Mumble's ecstatic feet was not only good as a an animated fanciful Emperor Penguin, but also valid as a fine, skilled tap dancer; one of the finest. The continuity was good, impressive editing, and the message clear: celebrate our differences, adapt to change when necessary, and don't be afraid to take on challenges, even when they seems insurmountable. That's a great message for anyone at any age.