By Kit-Kat

Somewhere over the years animated films for children have changed their flavor; going from Disney's well known tales that have a touch of darkness (like Bambi or hey, for that matter The Little Mermaid) mixed in with the standard moral lessons (I still find myself reflecting on Watership Down of all things) to a more comedic or adult oriented approach (say Shrek or even Open Season). Frankly, I thought the whole approach like Shrek was clever and I was glad to check out this new emerging style. Taking all this into consideration, I figured Happy Feet was going to be along the Shrek vein and so I jumped at the chance to check out the latest from Warner Brothers. It definitely was not what I had expected.

Happy Feet is set deep in Antarctica. Into the land of Emperor Penguins, where each needs a heart song to attract a soul mate, a penguin is born who cannot sing. Our hero Mumble, son of Memphis and Norma Jean, is the worst singer in the world...however, as it happens, he is a brilliant tap dancer!

Just as the synopsis hints at- you are taken on an adventure through the Emperor Penguin mating process, their harsh winter separation and the mothers return with food for the newly hatched chicks. But that is only the beginning; you also follow the life of Mumble, one young penguin who struggles through acceptance at being a bit different. A comedic tale this movie is not, but rather is reminiscent of the older animated genre, offering up a little dark flavor with its substance and only the occasional splash of humor.

We're treated to an all star cast with Elijah Wood (Mumble) Nicole Kidman (Norma Jean), Hugh Jackman (Memphis), Robin Williams (Ramon, Lovelace, Cletus) and Brittany Murphy (Gloria) to name a few. Clearly Robin Williams is guaranteed to bring laughs (and Ramon was one of my favorites) so it's no surprise he had three voice roles. Brittany Murphy did a surprisingly good job as Gloria and her songs were exceptional. Elijah Wood also did well in his role as Mumble. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman struck me way off though, figuring they would play more Australian accented penguins (after all, the scary Elephant Seals had that Australian flare). As much as it pains me to say it, Jackman was a bit much as an Elvis penguin and I didn't find Kidman to be as believable with the breathy Marilyn Monroe demeanor. Had they used their native accents I would have believe it and liked it much better.

Okay, I'm sure if you've seen March of the Penguins you will find some similarities, after all these are also Emperor Penguins - if a bit um... animated. Speaking of animation, the scenery was the best I have seen yet depicting Antarctica in all of its harsh beauty perfectly. Even the winds that can be up to 120mph were depicted with spectacular effect. I can say that the scenery for the movie impressed me the most. That along with the multitude of relevant lessons for not only the environment but one's well being were a large part of what kept me interested through the movie.

Something I found hard to deal with (and yet I see it is getting high praise elsewhere) was the music. Oh the songs were good, and I did notice many a child in the theatre bouncing about to the music However, for me the whole blending, remixing and overlapping was a bit chaotic (though I suppose that is perhaps how it is with those worked up penguins). No doubt kids appreciate the remixes better than I do. The appearance of the penguins themselves also gave me a double take. Granted adult penguins have their own cute look to them but, I thought for sure they would be changed a bit to seem more cutesy for the kids and they definitely weren't (their tongue movements will haunt my thoughts for a long time...). The fluffy baby penguins were of course adorable and just about everyone in the theatre did the expected 'awe' when the first one popped out of the egg on screen.

Is this the best animated film for the year, I have to say no (ducks). I liked the movie well enough. It has great lessons and superb scenic animation. There was just something a bit off that I cannot quite put my finger on, so it didn't make a believer of gold to me. You'll have to check it out and see which side of the coin you fall on. I do agree it's a good movie and one that the whole family will enjoy, which is all one really can ask for when those holidays loom around the corner.