Set deep inside the icy land of Antarctica, two emperor penguins
fall in love (thanks to a killer musical medley) and give birth to a
baby named Mumble (Elijah Wood). Hatched upon his feet, little Mumble
(and I challenge anyone not to think that it is simply the cutest
little thing ever created for the big screen) has an amazing skill for
tap-dancing. However, as we all know, penguins are not supposed
to tap dance. Even worse, young Mumble can't sing either - which isn't
good news - as all emperor penguins are supposed to have a heart song.
This of course leads Mumble to venture off into the icy landscape, away
from those who ridicule him for his differences. After
stumbling into some trouble in the form of a leopard seal, Mumble is
rescued by a short group of Adelie penguins, lead by Ramon (Robin
Williams). They take Mumble to their home and discover that all of
their fish is being taken by an unknown 'alien' source. They ask
Lovelace (Robin Williams...again), the "wise" and cocky leader of the
Adelies, to help them. Unfortunately, he is of little help, leading on
an incredible adventure. While the story is fun, with numerous moral lessons spliced within (prejudice, global warming, etc, etc) Happy Feet
all to often fails to amuse. Most flicks of this nature generally have
a little something for the kiddies and the adults, but for mine (as a
big kid at heart) there was something lacking. The cast is jam-packed however, which more than makes up for Happy Feets
few flaws. Robin Williams works over time for his paycheck, while
Brittney Murphy and our very own Magna Szubanski also give some great
performances. However, it's big name Aussie inclusions Hugh
Jackman and Nicole Kidman that are the biggest - and most surprising -
disappointments. I'm not sure where I've been (perhaps I never really
paid attention to any flicks that Kidman has been in) but I've quickly
come to the realisation that she is, quite simply, a terrible, terrible
actress. Her voice is frustratingly annoying and she has about as much
range as a BB-Gun. Jackman, who is normally not to shabby, disappoints
also with one of the worst Southern American accents since Jack
Thompson left for Hollywood to play a series of military leaders in
disaster flicks in the late 90's. Why they wouldn't just have the
Aussie actors speak Aussie (in a film with numerous accents anyway) in
a flick which has been jammed down our throats as "Aussie Made" is
beyond me. Look, Happy Feet
(the Oscar Winning, Box Office Busting CGI Animated flick from Aussie
director George Miller) isn't bad. In fact, it's a pretty fun little
flick - but it's hardly ground breaking nor fantastically entertaining
on the level of it's predecessors Shrek, Monsters Inc, etc, etc. For first time viewers, Happy Feet
will never live up to the hype - it simply can't. None the less, the
kids will no doubt be entertained, and the visuals are absolutely
stunning making for an enjoyable DVD experience. DVD
Extras There's an interview with wacky looking George Miller (the interviewers are two young Happy Feet fans) which is Okay along with the theatrical trailer on the single disc. The
double disc offers a bit more, including several featurettes on the
making of the film, music clips and interactive dance lessons. Will keep the kids out of your hair for a good few hours at least! Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 65% 
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