“Happy Feet” stars an Emperor penguin named Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) who was born to dance. But that’s not a good thing for penguins since all of the penguins in the Antarctic are supposed to be able to sing. Mumble can’t sing. So he’s asked by the elders in the colony to leave because they blame him for there not being enough fish for all of them to eat.
Out on his own Mumble meets-up with other penguins who like dancing as he searches for the real reason that there isn’t enough food for all of them: the humans.
Other stars who do voices in “Happy Feet” include Brittany Murphy, who plays Gloria the best singer among the penguins. And Robin Williams actually plays two roles.
I like some things about the film, including the animation and the soundtrack. And the dancing is great! But the story is pretty simple and I was never pulled-in. And when the humans show-up at the end it gets pretty weird.
“Happy Feet” is rated PG. There are a few scary scenes involving leopard seals and killer whales trying to eat Mumble and his friends, but no one gets hurt.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Happy Feet” only gets a C. I was shocked when this won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. I suggest you watch “March of the Penguins” instead…and then go out dancing.