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Happy Feet (Full Screen Edition) :: 0793837782
Description
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| For anyone who thought the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins was the most marvelous cinematic moment for these nomads of the south, you haven't seen nothing yet. Here's an animated wonder about a penguin named Mumble who can't sing, but can dance up a storm. George Miller, the driving force behind the Babe (and Mad Max) movies, takes another creative step in family entertainment with this big, beautiful, music-fueled film that will have kids and their parents dancing in the streets. From his first moment alive, Mumble (voiced Elijah Woods) feels the beat and can't stop dancing. Unfortunatly, emperor penguins are all about finding their own heart song, and dancing youngster--as cute as he is--is a misfit. Luckily, he bumps into little blue penguins, a Spanish-infused group (led by Robin Williams) and begins a series of adventures. Miller has an exceptional variety of entertainment, Busby Berkley musical numbers, amusement park thrills, exciting chase sequences (seals and orca lovers might like think otherwise), and even an environmental message that doesn't weigh you down. Best of all, you don't know where the movie is going in the last act, a rare occurrence these days in family entrainment. A fusion of rock songs, mashed up and otherwise are featured; this movie is as much a musical as a comedy. Mumble's solo dance to a new version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" by Fantasia, Patti and Yolanda may be the most joyful moment on camera in 2006. --Doug Thomas Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
Reviews
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Author: Guest
This was a DELIGHTFUL movie and w/Steve Irwin "loaning" his voice as one of the Elephant Seals is a last "Thumbs UP" for Wildlife Conservation! I cannot believe ANYTHING negative has been said about this movie.
If you give a damn about this Earth we are living on or Wildlife and/or the destruction of their habitat....MAYBE you should go live on another planet! AND, as far as this "Message" being too much for children to understand...I say It's NEVER too early to start teaching kid's to respect and not trash the world we live in...If they do not respect OUR world then I would imagine they will not have respect for anything at all.
I just wanted to address the negative cynical comments first and then just tell you I am 35 and watched this movie w/my 73yr old Mom and we both enjoyed it immensely! It was adorable!
PLEASE - Give the movie a chance! And, DO give a damn about our world...It's the only one we got!
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Author: Guest
I wish there was a little more tapping in the movie, but it was an entertaining film.
The music was great, and there are many parts of this film that will keep you smiling and laughing.
Stephen John Beccia
author of The Treelanders--Journey to the Giants
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Author: Guest
When I saw this movie, I was struck by two things - how it looked and how it felt.
It sounds obvious, but I couldn't help but be struck by the artistry of the film's animation. "Happy Feet" had the appearance of a nature documentary, and I mean it in a good way. The filmmakers made a conscious effort to study penguin movement (maybe by watching "March of the Penguins?") as well as how the enviornment interacts with them. Simple backgrounds work as well, as they are able to capture the splendid vistas of an admittedly minimalist natural environment.
Now, it also was meant to be a "message" film, and those can always be tricky. I'm not a big fan of them because, when moviemakers attempt one, I get the feeling they assume the watchers are too stupid to get what they're saying without clobbering us about the head with them. It's worse when it's done with a "children's" film. There are two here - taking care of the environment and not casting out those that are different - and yet they're handled in a truly cool way. Yes, the uberconservatives may get in a bit of a snit when they see the forces against Mumbles are cast to appear like mean-spirited religious zealots, however this IS a great plotpoint. Outcasts (I speak from experience here) sometimes feel just that way - beat on and thrown out simply because we're running against the popular tide. And the environmental point is handled, I truly believe, in a way non-humans would look upon it. Humans really ARE "aliens" in this world, and they aren't being necessarily "mean" in how they act toward animals. They may be just clueless to the harm they're doing.
A top-notch voice cast helps bring this off. Elijah Wood may yet be one of the most overlooked actors in Hollywood because he's able to bring off a tender, desperate Mumbles with only his voice (although the animators also gave him Wood's piercing blue eyes). We don't get to see often enough Hugh Jackman's verstility with accents, and here we are hearing him do a cross between Curly from "Oklahoma" (I strongly suggest anyone who hasn't yet see the filmed Royal Shakespeare version with him in it to do so) and Elvis without it seeming forced or artificial. There are really too many performances to list, and they're all first rate.
The tapdancing too is great. We only see a cartoonish replication of Savion Glover's moves, but he really sends off on sound as well. A carryover from his days on "Stomp."
The final verdict is an enthusiastic "buy it." Unless you don't happen to like penguins.
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Author: Guest
I saw this on the big screen and planned on buying it once it came out on DVD. This is such an enjoyable,cute funny movie for us adults and kids. It will put you in a good mood. It also has a nice light(not heavy) environmental message at the end. It is such just a well made animated feature. I am glad it got the academy award. Buy it...You will love it.
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Author: Guest
It is amazing what we can do with computer animation! Don't miss out on this visually stunning, wonderfully cute, and awe-inspiring musical romp! "Happy Feet" won an Academy Award for best animated movie, and after seeing it I think most people will whole-heartedly agree.
Quick Synopsis: Mumble is a penguin born into a society (of penguins anyway) where singing is everything. Without your "heart-song", you can't find a mate and fall in love. Unfortunately, Mumble was born without a great singing voice, and is immediately criticized and ostrasized for his lack of singing ability. However, Mumble can do something none of the other penguins can -- he can dance! Mumble can never resist moving his happy feet to the rythmn of the other penguin's singing. Unfortunately, Mumble's fellow penguins are in danger of starvation due to a sudden lack of fish. After making a few new friends, Mumble sets out to find the reason for the disappearance of all the fish, and put a stop to it, tapping his toes and touching the lives of everyone around him on the way.
The thing that will strike you the most about this film is the amazing musical score. The songs are fun and beautiful at the same time, but one of the best things about them are that most of them are re-tooled variations of popular hip-hop and pop songs that will help a younger generation to connect with the film. The big musical numbers are intricate and often touching.
This is a great family film, and I think that people of all ages will be able to watch it and be entertained. It kind of has a little something for everyone -- lot's of humor, incredible musical and dance numbers (yes, penguins dancing is unbelievably adorable), even a subtle political commentary on the nature of human impact on our environment, especially the impact our actions have on animal species. Meanwhile, there are also connotations of love and acceptance, as well as youth's journey towards finding themselves and growing to be happy with who they are and not who others think they should be. These are all positive messages that are cleverly tucked into the plot, inbetween fantastical dance numbers, and wise-cracking penguins.
Bottom line, this was a very enjoyable film for me. Admittedly I'm a big fan of these types of family films, but all the same I think that others will enjoy it also.
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