‘Happy Feet 2’: Is there such a thing as too much cute?

Baby penguins and fluffy snow. Robin Williams and Pink. Queen and Janet Jackson. If these are not enough to make you watch “Happy Feet 2”, then you have a heart of ice and you have forgotten the meaning of laughter.

 

“Happy Feet 2” has Elijah Wood and Robin Williams reprising their roles as Mumble and Ramon respectively, and Hugo Weaving while Alecia Moore—better known as the singer Pink—takes over voicing Gloria from Brittany Murphy. Other new voices in the cast include Brad Pitt (Will the Krill), Matt Damon (Bill the Krill), Richard Carter (Bryan the Beach Master), and giggle-inducing Hank Azaria (The Mighty Sven). 

 

Taking off from the original “Happy Feet” movie, Emperor penguins Mumble and Gloria now have a son, Erik. Just like daddy, he’s an adorable little chick, and—just like daddy—a little different from everybody else, and this causes some embarrassment and rejection in the beginning of the movie. The same goes for Adelie penguin Ramon, and the two outcasts decide that Adelie-Land might be a better place for them. Erik’s friends Boadica and Atticus join them, and of course daddy Mumble has to go and find them.

 

But Adelie-Land has changed, and while Lovelace (also voiced by the inimitable Robin Williams) is still the big fish (well, bird), the penguins have been singing praises of someone else: The Mighty Sven. Paradigms must shift, songs must be sung, dance numbers must be epic, and penguins must be adorable.

 

Animation: Lifelike hair!  

When “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” was released in 2001, one of the most impressive things about it was how the production was able to animate Dr. Aki Ross’ lifelike hair. Each strand was individually animated, and it blew in the wind more beautifully than any shampoo-commercial hair ever did. 

 

In “Happy Feet 2”, the most impressive feats are the snow and the fur, which are unbelievably detailed and realistic. You can almost see the texture of the snow: powdery when freshly fallen, slick and wet when frozen, and tracked with prints from various penguins all over Adelie-Land and Emperor-Land. The different creatures looked so real and accurate: the fluff on the penguin chicks, the legs of the krill, the folds of the elephant seal’s flesh and the rough skin on his nose. Even the staples on Sven’s beak and the yarn on Lovelace’s sweater looked realistic, with textures more vivid than what you might find on real world staples and yarn! 

 

3D animation has come a long way, and movies like “Happy Feet 2” show us that this fad isn’t all bad. Personally I think only animated films are worth their cost in 3D movie tickets. Live action 3D flicks like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and “Avatar” seem fascinating in the beginning, but as the movie progresses I just get dizzy. “How To Train Your Dragon” is my favorite example of 3D being put to good use in an animated film. If you’re willing to pay the extra buck, see “Happy Feet 2” in 3D and die of 3D cuteness.

 

The plot thickens  

 

The movie opened to mixed reviews, many deeming a sequel unnecessary considering the enormous and award-winning success of “Happy Feet”. But my problem with the first movie had always been its ending, which felt rushed; the human intervention was a deus ex machina that I found incongruous with the rest of the film. In hindsight though, it made for a good lesson in environmental responsibility: it was human intervention that caused Emperor-Land’s famine in the first place, and it must be human intervention that solved the problem.

 

“Happy Feet 2” takes environmental preaching to a whole new level. Human intervention is featured more heavily here, and is blamed for the penguin predicaments. Global warming causes the ice to melt, which leads to shifting ice masses and disruptions to the delicate balance of the food chain. This delicate balance is spelled out in the newfound relationship between the penguins and the elephant seals, and in the krill subplot. 

 

All in all “Happy Feet 2” is a good way to explain arctic ecology to kids while teaching them the balance between standing out and fitting in, as well as between solving your own problems and asking for help. Kind of like an episode of “Sesame Street”?

 

Music to dance to  

Of course the main reason you want to see “Happy Feet 2” is because the trailer looks so cute, with the penguin chicks dancing and singing, “We’re bringing fluffy back!” My favorite is the Queen/Janet Jackson number. 

 

Perhaps the best thing about this movie is that the beginning of each musical number will have you guessing the title of the song they’re using, as well as wondering how they’re going to make the lyrics more penguin-centric. Watch out for Erik’s big number and Gloria’s soothing lullaby, and make sure you watch the movie with other music enthusiasts.

 

My overall rating: 4 out of 5 fluffy penguin chicks, because I like this movie better than the first one. –KG, GMA News