Weekly Penguin

Weekly Penguin 112

Final day in our Happy Feet marathon and it's time to feature the movie itself. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of Happy Feet material to get through, but I think it's time to let Mumble and friends a rest for while.

The film is perhaps the best animated film I've ever seen. It would've been so easy to do it lazy, just focusing on cuteness of penguins, but instead director George 'Mad Max' Miller defies all odds; under the musical coating and the obligatory praise of acceptance and individuality there are multiple layers concerning everything from climate change and overfishing to cross-species communication. It's one of those movies you can watch for either the entertainment or the thoughtful story – or both.

The film premiered on the same day as Daniel Craig's debut as James Bond and yet Mumble owned 007 at the U. S. box office. Just in case you haven't seen Happy Feet yet and for some unknown reason are undecided about watching it, watch the trailer and waddle fast to the nearest DVD retailer.

Added: 2009-09-29