News-Letter

After the triumph of The March of the Penguins, Warner
Brothers realized that those cuddly Antartic animals will ultimately
guarantee success. No one can resist the flightless birds as they
waddle through the icy terrain It's a simple fact. However, there is a
way to make penguins even more appealing, and as everybody knows, the
only thing better than penguins is dancing penguins. Both children and
adults will enjoy the latest computer animated film Happy Feet.

This heart-warming story follows Mumble, an unusual emperor
penguin (voiced by Elijah Wood). The most important quality of Emperor
penguins is their ability to sing as each one has his own "heart song,"
a song that acts as his identity. Two penguins are fated to be together
if their heart songs compliment one another's. While you won't actually
hear a penguin singing Prince or Elvis in the Antarctic, Emperor
penguins pick their mates by listening to each other's unique calls.

The opening scene of the movie shows the courting of Norma
Jean, a soft-spoken Southern belle-like penguin (voiced by Nicole
Kidman) and Memphis, a penguin form of Elvis (voiced by Hugh Jackman).
While Norma Jean is fishing for the winter with the other female
penguins, Memphis is nesting their egg.

Problems begin when Memphis losses his concentration and drops
the egg. After the belated birth of their son, Mumble, it's easy to
notice his unusual behavior. Instead of waddling, Mumble tap-dances
around the nesting ground. When he's asked by Memphis, "What you doing
there with your feet?" he quickly responds "I'm happy, pa. They're
happy too!" His startling talent is unwelcome as they realize that his
singing voice is bad enough to shatter ice.

As a teenager, Mumble, an outgoing and passionate penguin,
tries to overcome the teasing and prejudices against him from his
community. With a deadly fish shortage, the elders led by the
conservative-minded Scottish penguin Noah (voiced by Hugo Weaving),
seek an explanation. They blame the problem on Mumble and force him to
leave his family and his love, Gloria (voiced by Brittany Murphy).
Mumble sets out to discover the truth to prove his innocence and
abilities to everyone. The story will keep you wondering until the very
end, a rare quality in children's films.

The story and its characters are wonderfully adorable, and
there are many moments of hilarity. Robin Williams voices the two
characters of comic relief, Raul, a spit-fiery Latin blue penguin, and
Lovelace, an overzealous rock penguin who preaches of mystic beings
(humans) to his community. Lovelace, Raul and his clan of entertaining
amigos help Mumble on his journey creating laughter along the way.

The music is wildly entertaining. The penguins sing and dance
to everything from Prince to TLC. Be sure to listen closely to hear the
numerous songs that work in and out of each musical break. Brittany
Murphy, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman all show off their impressive
vocal talents throughout the film. The teenage penguins celebrate their
graduation with Queen's "Somebody to Love" while Mumble later practices
to Stevie Wonder's "I Wish." You'll leave the theatre singing and
wanting to find the nearest record store to buy the album.

The computer graphics are also impressive. The expressions
shown through the penguins' eyes are amazing. Mumble even has Elijah
Wood's piercing blue eyes and slightly awkward build. The integration
of the computer-animated penguins with live human actors is original
and well done.

Though the film is technically a holiday movie, it is a
must-see this season. Its heartwarming story, toe-tapping musical
numbers and outrageously cute characters will set the upbeat mood for
the holiday celebrations. Happy Feet is a must-see for both young and old this winter. You'll want to put a dancing penguin on your gift list!

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