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Film Review: Happy Feet<p>Monday, December 11, 2006 - Often I judge a movie based on the soundtrack. If it keeps me humming and tapping my feet, I know it's going to be entertaining. If the music is very melodramatic, I know I better get the purse-size pack of Kleenex ready. If there isn't much music at all, I'm going to have to tap into my own hidden emotions.</p>Despite the fact I was already irritated because of the late-coming theatre-goers that forced everyone around me to move seats, as well as coats and drinks, the first song blasting through the speakers during Happy Feet had me grooving in my seat. Who would think an animated flick about penguins would start out with them singing the Chaka Khan classic, Tell Me Something Good?<p>This is, of course, after I'd heard so many things already about this movie. I'd heard not only that it was the top-selling movie at the box office, but also that it was preachy at times and was also very stereotypical in the way it handled ethnic differences. Despite the warnings, I took my kids anyway, as I don't think they'd ever forgive me if I saw an animated Disney-type movie without them.</p>I wasn't the only one tapping my feet. My 10 year old daughter, who has spent the past week listening to a Beach Boys CD sang along with the penguins during most of the songs, including Brittany Murphy singing Boogie Wonderland. My 13 year old son, the drummer, loved the beat of the tap-dancing penguin, Mumble.<p>As we learned in the documentary March of the Penguins last year, emperor penguins find their mates by their "song". Mumble, voiced by Elijah Wood, was born with the ability to sing like Peter Brady, and tap dance like Savion Glover. And following the typical formulaic animated movie, this makes him an outcast, even by his father, voiced by Hugh Jackman, and much to the dismay of his mother, voiced by Nicole Kidman.</p>After hearing from a tagged bird about his "alien abduction", Mumble rightfully decides the "aliens" are responsible for the fish famine. After being ostracized by the other emperor penguins, he's taken in by a different breed of penguins. These penguins have Spanish accents and a completely easygoing nature. Robin Williams voices one of the them, as well as their "guru", Lovelace, who is stricken with a plastic six-pack ring around his neck. Mumble and his new friends set out to get the "aliens" to stop stealing their fish.<p>The movie spends a good deal of time showing that the "aliens", aka the human race, are responsible for stealing the fish from the penguins. Is it preachy? Somewhat, especially with the six-pack ring around Lovelace's neck. Are the penguins with the Spanish accents being stereotyped? Somewhat, but it's not a negative stereotype, so perhaps it's no harm, no foul.Since it's a movie intended for kids, though, the question of preachiness or stereotyping should perhaps be posed to them.</p>My son noticed the preaching, but thought it was good, thinking people needed to be more aware of environmental issues. My daughter, though, found the ways in which the environmental issues were presented somewhat scary, to the point of hiding her face through some of the movie.Yet, neither one of my kids mentioned the stereotyping. They didn't even notice it. In the end, that's what matters. It's a kids' movie, and they were entertained, to the point of walking out singing Somebody to Love by Queen.<p>Yuddy Score: A Yud</p>-LT
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