Great animation, but not animated in other aspects

Rating: 5/10 (9 December 2006)

In this film, I expected every other animation film has had in the past: humor, a good story, talented voices, and great animation. This film, right of the bat has some of the most excellent animation I've ever seen on the big screen! Even more superb was the use of real-life footage of actual people moving around in the background, later on in the film. It was just fantastic.
Another aspect the film granted was a good morale story of a penguin named Mumble, who is isolated from his fellow penguins because he can't sing, which leads to his journey of exploring the icy slopes and landscapes of Antarctica, coming across very unusual obstacles, which leads to the battle between nature vs. man (I don't want to give away more of the story).
But what damaged the movie, in my mind was the lack of humor, and the film lacks it because the story intervenes with it. The story is so mature, that it invovles politics, global warming, and the whole deal with humans starving the animal kingdoms (the penguins in this case). This blackened the film, which looks like an ordinary kids film to a film of controversy that is not meant to be. And not to mention the talented voices, which were honestly nto that great.
Okay, Robin Williams was his usual self, but to break some hearts, he was extremely limited in the film, not as funny as he usually is, despite the fact that he does two very talented voices. Some other cast voices were good like: Hugh Jackman and Nichol Kidman, and the singing lyrics were good, but it involved a lot inappropriate inneuendo (the penguins talking abou sex, even though its left implied, but you get the idea of how physical they act around one another.) IT all felt weak compared to recent films like Madagascar or Over the Hedge.
Previously said, the humor was limited, and since it was limited, it wasn't that animated. (Even in the theater, I noticed kids dosing off because they weren't seeing any action.) Since this was all absent, the film dragged on and on, and my butt starting itching.
it was an okay film, but lacked the entertainment of making an animated film. my rating **1/2 out of **** this movie is not really for kids. The penguins may act all "cute and cuddly", but they aren't over the top hysterical.