Hilarious and Poignant

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2020)

This miracle of animation is alternately hilarious and poignant, with heavy doses of good-hearted ethnic humor and memorable voices, among them Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Nicole Kidman, and Hugh Jackman, all working in harmony to create a memorable cast of penguin characters who launch into singing and dancing routines to such old favorites as Stevie Wonder's "Tell Me Something Good" and "I Wish" and "Golden Slumbers" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, all songs selected to move the action along and get you tapping your feet along with Mumbles, the tap-dancing outcast who learns to be true to himself. What is fun about this delightful family film is that it is also a non-pedagogical exercise in music history and appreciation.