Happy Feet

Starring: Savion Glover, Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman

Synopsis: In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you’re nobody unless you can sing--which is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing. Though Mumble’s mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it “just ain’t penguin.” Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange “hippity- hoppity” ways. Mumble is just too different--especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins--the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon, the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble’s cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru, a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life’s questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.

Also Known As: The Kingdom

Newz: The first trailer for this, which featured Williams’ Ramon singing “My Way” in Spanish, looked like a joke, some “March of the Penguins” parody. But then we saw that George Miller (the good one, not the other one) was involved, breathed a minor sigh of relief. We also wonder how much it cost them to clear all the songs used in the trailer, though I suppose Chicago and Queen can be bought for a nickel these days.

Trailer Highlight: Taunting the seal.

Bottom Line: Is it too soon for another animated movie, never mind an animated penguin movie?

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