In Antarctica, a colony of Emperor Penguins are living peacefully. A female penguin named "Norma Jean" (voiced by Nicole Kidman) finds a mate named "Memphis" (voiced by Hugh Jackman) by singing a "heartsong"...
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In Antarctica, a colony of Emperor Penguins are living peacefully. A female penguin named "Norma Jean" (voiced by Nicole Kidman) finds a mate named "Memphis" (voiced by Hugh Jackman) by singing a "heartsong" ("Kiss" by Prince), to which "Memphis" responds with his own "heartsong ("Heartbreak Hotel" by "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" Elvis Presley). The two hatch a child named "Mumbles" (voiced by EG Daily).


"Mumbles" is not your typical penguin, as he is unable to carry a "heartsong" if it had handles on it. He becomes an outcast, but a female named "Gloria" (voiced by Alyssa Shafer) becomes the only penguin who shows him a shred of respect. It is also obvious that "Mumbles" has feeling for the female penguin.


Years later, the fish population the penguins live off of is dying out. And "Mumbles" goes on an adventure to find out just exactly what is happening with their food.


But, what he finds not only affects his colony, but other species he comes across on his adventure and what he learns are "aliens" (humans).

The first thing I have to say is that the animation is pretty good. The characters move realistically, and they do get the smallest detail in the look of the character. The problem is that, thanks to the location the movie takes place, there is just too much white. You get a few shades of blue, some blacks and grays, and a little yellow and brown. But, there is just too much white, and the scenery is pretty boring.


Like I said, the characters are designed nicely. The actors enhance the characters with their performances. Fortunately, some actors were able to provide multiple voices for different characters. One that stands out is Robin Williams, who provides a voice for about three characters -- including the narrator, which is not in the movie that much.


For the majority of the movie, you get some popular tunes from the last 40 years. Many of the songs are used fairly well to set up scenes. Those who sing the songs do a pretty good job with the covers. However, Prince, who provides at least one original tune, should have been used to perform his hit "Kiss", which "Norma Jean" uses as her "heartsong". Unlike recent movies I've seen, the soundtrack is memorable thanks to the use of many well known songs. I would have liked to have seen a few more original songs to help advance the mood of movie.


And speaking of the movie's mood, it changes when the environmental message comes into light. This is when the movie completely falls apart. In my opinion, the movie makers completely forgot to develop characters and storylines that were presented earlier in the film. For example, instead of "Gloria" going with "Mumbles," she stays with the colony. They completely missed a chance to advance the blossoming romance between the two. Other characters, who are introduced as the environmental message begins to appear, have no chance of development at all.


Another thing that is wrong with this movie is that this really isn't for a young audience. You get some adult humor that should slip past children, and some larger species of Antarctic animals chasing and almost killing a main character.


As for my recommendation, I am somewhere between Yes and No. Prior to the enviornmental message, I would say yes, but only for a rainy day movie. After the environmental message appears, I can't recommend it.

I find this a very boring movie and only a film for little kids and people who like animated films and penguins. Older people who don't like that kind of stuff probably won't like this.

This movie was better than I thought it would be, definately one of the best movies in the 2000's along with alot of movies(eg Shrek).

Happy Feet is a toe-tapping, tap-dancing computer-animated penguin adventure from Animal Logic Ltd. and Warner Bros. Pictures. It follows the adventures of a little penguin called Mumble Happyfeet, unable to sing unlike the other penguins can,...
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Happy Feet is a toe-tapping, tap-dancing computer-animated penguin adventure from Animal Logic Ltd. and Warner Bros. Pictures. It follows the adventures of a little penguin called Mumble Happyfeet, unable to sing unlike the other penguins can, gets excluded from the pack. It's up to Mumble to save the fish and prove his potential.

On a visual and technical level, Happy Feet is amazing. The film, to look at, is a masterpeice, and both the icy enviornments of Antartica, and the sharp realistic look of the animals in the movie, both truly emulate a sense of reality to the movie, and emulates a true detailed portrait of the Antractia most of us may see in real life. The animation even knocks Pixar back into the shades. The animation is incredibly realistic, making penguins move like they do in real life, but yet have very sharp and human facial expressions that truly read the emotion of each character.

Happy Feet has forseeable depth that really has never been seen in a Disney catoon, or let alone, a cartoon. The movie conveys a truly deep message of the enviornemnt in the Antratica, and how precious that is, and how we are runining it by wasting our modern technology. It's a shame the message feels quite forced in this penguin flick. Happy Feet constantly shows sequences of Mumble Happyfeet talking about people and the fish, and their are many sequences that show Mumble being chased or captured by humans or their machines, they give the movie a very forced impression.

Despite the movie's egologically obsessed storyline, Happy Feet boasts a whole new techinical level on how to make animation look and feel truly realistic.