Please, I beg of you, do not see this disappointing film.

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2007)

I request that you do not go to this extremely disappointing film. My aunt, Mom, Grandmother, and 4 cousins (all under the age of 5) went to see this for New Year's. Afterwards, as my Grandma and cousins drove away, my mother, aunt, and I had a heated discussion about the underlying issues in the film. As a teenager myself, it may seem that some of these concepts would seem to go over my head, but I caught on to it myself and took the liberty to relieve you of the pain.
May I give you a complete synopsis at this point so you can gauge whether or not it is worth it to you.
COMPLETE SPOILER NOW
It began as a sweet March of the Penguins type tale. This little penguin was dropped as an egg and as a result this penguin Mumble can't properly sing. Singing is the cultural identity of his people who believe in something called HeartSong. He can't sing, but loves to dance, or as he says: sing with your feet. As the story evolves he is shunned from the penguin society because they believe him to be the cause of the fish shortage. But, Mumble knows that it's the aliens taking the fish and so he goes in search of them. On his travels previously he met another group of a different breed of penguin and one particular penguin called Lovelace has this mysterious talisman around his neck (a six-pack ring) that he says was bestowed upon him by the gods. Mumble knows better, again, and finds Lovelace choking due to this thing. Mumble, Lovelace and his friends The Amigos go in search of the aliens. They find a city of the aliens (humans), unfortunately, this city is deserted. After a brush with killer whales (orcas) which managed to remove the ring around Lovelace's neck. (Don't ask how, it's magic. His breathing is also immediately bettered, heaven forbid recuperative time.) Then, Mumble tells the others to leave and he'll continue on his own. They agree to this and assume he'll die. He sets off on a ridiculous journey chasing after commercial net fishing boats and goes on and on. He swims for ever and ends up washed ashore where a Jeep comes for him. He is placed in a zoo where he proceeds to loose not only his voice, but his soul and spirit. He hallucinates seeing his family and love interest, whose name is Gloria.
A small girl taps on the glass to draws our Emperor penguin's attention, and with her rhythm he begins to dance! A crowd draws and (magically, again, after a time skip) Mumble shows back up to see his penguin group. On his back is a HUGE tracking device with a large red light and glowing circuits and a large antennae.(INHUMANE AS ALL HELL). Mumble has decided to bring the humans to his family so they will help. But he tries to convince this huge group that the only way to save their kid is to dance for the humans.
MY FEELINGS TOWARDS IT
Part Two specifically: My best descriptor: March of the Penguins- Moulin Rouge- a twisted Fern Gully
He is portrayed as extremely depressed and zombie-like in the zoo. But when he dances, then he is all cheery again. If this is not enough of an enigma already, how can we explain his release back into the wild? If we found a penguin who tap-danced would we let him go, or would we put him on display and charge $20 for admission to see him? And, let's go past the whole back to wild problem. When he's in the wild going back to his family, what is he thinking? That the humans will make fish magically appear? Once there, what is he thinking? He feels the need to convince the penguins that the only way to be saved is by dancing like good little slaves.
Is anyone else reminded of our own American history here? In the first half of the 20th century when Blacks were given any type of rights, the only time they were allowed in a restaurant with the Whites was when they where found to be entertaining; this was the only reason to keep a Negro in the general vicinity of the good White people. This was the only time they deserved rewards or respect. And, as follows with our penguin friends, the only reason that humans give a damn about the penguins is when they do something out of their nature. The video of the penguins dancing is the only thing that will convince the humans to do a thing about the fish shortage caused by the over-fishing. that humans do. So, if the penguins do good, then the humans can afford to care. And, logically, you can't just stop all fishing worldwide as the UN suggested. That's a cultural reversal, would we make fisherman stop fishing in the Great Lakes and loose their lifestyle? Would we make areas dependent on fish as their main source of protein give it up and instead import all of their food. So the UN can work miracles and deny any social responsibilities to humans? Wow. The other basic thing is: Wouldn't humans make an amusement park and have people pay to watch these amazing penguins in their "natural" environment? And, the fish "magically" come back, in the very next shot, we see it appears to be raining fish! They are tossing fish into the air. I would have rather have had Mumble trapped in the zoo for the rest of his miserable life and despising humans. But, of course, there has to be a "happy" ending to Happy Feet.
My feet were not at all happy as I trudged from the theater.