Why Happy Feet (2006) Was Before Its’ Time

*There are major spoilers for this movie so be prepared*

So you’re probably thinking, “…the penguin movie?” Of course my first official-ish post is going to be on this piece of art. And you best believe I’m talking about that penguin movie, a.k.a, one of the best penguin movies ever made. I mean can you even name another penguin movie? Other than actually, I quickly just googled other penguin movies and I guess there have been many penguin movies produced…so, moving along. But if you seriously can start naming penguin movies off the top of your head, then congratulations you also don’t have a life just like me.

Yes, this entire blog post will be about Happy Feet and my appreciation for this movie as well as penguins.

I must first begin with the fact that the entire plot of the movie is to warn the audience about over-fishing, the controversy of zoos, and the effects of global warming. Now that’s a kid’s movie I would want to see, am I right? In all honesty, I remember watching Happy Feet when it first came out in the theater and having a blast. I haven’t watched this movie in over twelve years but randomly, I stumbled across an old Robin Williams interview for Happy Feet 2 (which…does not hold to the caliber of the first movie) and I immediately realized I had to rewatch Happy Feet. So let’s talk about global warming and the mess it has created to our ecosystem.

I’m not going to bore you with facts since we all know what’s happening to the Amazon rainforest being on fire to the melting ice caps. And if you don’t then here’s a quick recap for you:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/big-thaw/
• https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vb5n54/why-the-amazon-is-really-on-fire-and-why-its-going-to-keep-burning

 “The famed snows of Kilimanjaro have melted more than 80 percent since 1912.”

Daniel Glick, National Geographic

Nonetheless, I was not expecting the moral of the story to be related to over-fishing and protecting nature. So, as an adult now re-watching this movie, I feel like it’s definitely relatable and in tune with a lot of the news articles I’ve been reading. In fact there’s this one scene where different governments and non-profit organizations are arguing about reducing waste, managing global warming, and saving the planet. I thought that was incredibly realistic and almost a prediction of what will happen in the future, aka now with Greta Thunberg, the climate activist that went viral recently.

The Wonderful Cast

1. Robin Williams: this crazy talented man played four different characters in the movie and his lines were hilarious. You could tell he was totally freestyling some parts and it was just super nostalgic to hear his voice and be reminded of my childhood. His characters were also very different from a Spanish love guru to playing the narrator to being two different Spanish penguins who are part of the main character’s soiree. RIP Robin Williams 😦
2. The Hugh Jackman: yes, Wolverine was in this movie and he was the voice of a guilty father who questions his parenting methods as well as his lifestyle through his son. He also impersonates Elvis for the entirety of the movie pretty much.
3. Brittany Murphy: I don’t know about you but for some reason, as a kid I had a DVD copy of Uptown Girls (which isn’t exactly marketed towards kids) and fell in love with Brittany Murphy ever since. Her voice as Gloria (I mean can you blame me, she literally plays such a good character with my name), is sensual and charming. Her character is the most liked penguin because of her talented singing skills. Murphy effortlessly plays Gloria and you really do end up shipping Mumble and Gloria together. I was also shook at the fact that Brittany Murphy can sing. And I mean like really sing. She has range.
4. Nicole Kidman: I love her acting because she’s really good in everything that she plays. Obviously, her role as the main character’s mother is so good. She plays Hugh Jackman’s wife and they have a lot of chemistry together.
5. Last but not least, Elijah Wood: he plays the main character, Mumble. It was easy to feel for Mumble as he’s an outcast. Yet, Wood was able to balance his awkwardness and courage as Mumble stands up for himself and the penguin community.
   I also have to say, all the actors that voice their characters sing their own parts too which is really noticeable and it comes off really smoothly.

The Singing and Dancing

We have to talk of course about the singing and the musical element of this movie. First of all, there are classic songs that are covered in this movie from classics like “Boogie Wonderland” to “Somebody to Love” to “My Way”. Fun fact, Prince rewrote “Kiss” to fit the penguin theme of the movie and he wrote another song for the ending credits of the movie. If Prince loved Happy Feet and you don’t then¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Not only is the singing amazing, but the animation works harmoniously with the music. From Mumble freestyle dancing to the choreographed dance scenes, you feel just so energized from the start to the finish of the movie. There were also actual dancers dancing which had their dancing captured through motion capture suits for the movie. I’ll repeat. They had professional dancers perform the choreographed dance scenes which was recorded for the movie in order for the dancing to be accurate. That’s wonderful.

Another amazing thing is that Mr. John Powell composed the instrumental portions of the film. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, he also composed music for How to Train your Dragon, The Bourne Series, Kung Fu Panda, and all the Shrek movies.

I’m not saying Happy Feet was underrated at the time it was released because it actually won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature film (and many other awards that year). It also beat Casino Royale at the box office when it was originally released. I just want to appreciate this film for what it is, a masterpiece.

Underlying Meaning

If you haven’t watched this movie then…I’m not really sure what you’re doing. Probably doing your taxes or watching The Office instead. Anyway, the main character Mumble is ostracized from other penguins his whole life because he can’t sing. All Emperor Penguins in the movie can sing and in order to find their way in life and find their lifelong mate, they must sing “their song”. However, Mumble literally can’t sing but he can dance instead. Dancing isn’t something that their community knows so he is outcasted. I’m sure every person watching this movie is able to relate somewhat for being ostracized for being different. The themes of acceptance, community, and what is deemed “normal” is repeated throughout Happy Feet. It’s heartbreaking seeing Mumble being rejected from his community, classmates, and even his own family. The strangest thing about this movie is that it isn’t just relatable for kids but also for adults.

So you should research the movie.

Last thoughts: Okay, that’s all I got. My brain is fried. The amount of research I did for this is kind of crazy. But this is also an accurate representation of how far I’ll go to prove a point. This blog post is so me so if you don’t like my thoughts then get outta here or leave some criticism, I’m fine with either/or. That is all. Stay tuned for the next one.