Boy can that penguin tap!

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2009)

Ever since I was a little girl I had an obsession with penguins. I couldn't help it, I thought they were so fascinating and cute. And you know what, I still do. Happy Feet was a film I really wanted to see, and after finally seeing it, I really liked it. It is a shame though that the plot is as thin as a block of ice and the ending is too abrupt and preachy. Other than that, contrary to some of the negative comments, it is a good film. The animation is dazzling; the backgrounds are colourful and the character movements are excellent. The music by John Powell was memorable and fun. Sometimes it brought a sense of fun, sometimes it even enhanced the drama. The characters are endearing. Mumble when he was a child was adorable, and Gloria is a beautiful penguin with a lovely voice. The dancing is a wonder, boy can Mumble tap. I didn't care that Mumble was different from the others, he had a talent of his own and made good use of it. The voice acting is impressive. I don't care for Elijah Wood but he does a good job as Mumble, and Robin Williams is especially funny as Ramon and Lovelace. Brittany Murphy is sweet as Gloria, but I was shocked that Nicole Kidman voiced Norma Jean. All in all, good film, nice premise, lovely animation and music. Shame it crashes down in the final twenty minutes. 8/10 Bethany Cox