Warner Bros.' hit Happy Feet ignited two storms when it came out in 2006. First, conservatives screamed the environmentally conscious film was "an animated Inconvenient Truth" selling "a far left agenda" to little kids. When it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2007, animators were outraged by the fact that it was made using motion-capture - as was one of the other contenders that year, Monster House.
The Academy eventually decided that motion-capture was not animation, but Happy Feet's Oscar win still stands. Will these controversies carry over into the sequel?
Yes, conservatives will still howl about Happy Feet Two's comments about climate change, but kids and their parents will enjoy a fun romp with some charming penguins and a whole mess o' 3-D.
George Miller Directs Warner Bros. Happy Feet Two, Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, P!nk
Little Erik (Ava Acres) is having a hard time finding his place with the Emperor Penguins. His dad Mumbles (Elijah Wood, movements by Savion Glover) and mom Gloria (Alecia "P!nk" Moore, replacing the late Brittany Murphy) are sympathetic but nothing they say helps. But when a global warming-related crisis threatens the land of the Emperor Penguins, can Mumbles and Erik - along with their pals the slumming puffin Sven (Hank Azaria), Bryan the Beachmaster (Richard Carter), Ramon (Robin Williams) and Lovelace (Robin Williams) - find a way to save the day?
Meanwhile back in the ocean, Will the Krill (Brad Pitt) is wondering if there's more to life outside the swarm. He strikes out on his own, dragging his nervous pal Bill the Krill (Matt Damon) along for the ride. Can Will discover a higher truth, or will his expedition end with him becoming a nice light snack?
Happy Feet Two's visuals are spectacular, immersing its viewers in a gorgeous vision of an undersea world. It's so arresting that it nearly makes the rest of the film look pedestrian in comparison. The sequence where Will and Bill discover what lies at the other end of the swarm is nothing less than stunning.
The environmental message is not as blatant as in the first film, but it's there: a scene featuring a polar bear teetering on what's left of an iceberg might even get Glenn Beck reconsidering his views on climate change (ah, who am I kidding?). Thankfully, George Miller and his gang of writers put together a fine film that makes its point without preaching, and can be enjoyed purely as entertainment. You can ignore those subtle prods if you want, but it's probably not a good idea.
Quibbles? A few. "I think I can live the rest of my life without hearing another krill pun," observed one audience member after the screening. Also, the 3-D experience goes way beyond 'paddleball': everything and the kitchen sink is hurled at the viewer throughout the flick. There's one scene featuring two characters circling an ice chip that's purely there just to show off the process. It's not a deal-breaker but a little restraint from Miller would have been nice.
Happy Feet Two: Stunning Visuals Complement a Charming Story
Right-wing howlers notwithstanding, Happy Feet Two is not "an animated Inconvenient Truth"; it's a charming family film that happens to make some quiet statements about the state of our planet. Add some genuinely impressive visuals, and the movie gets a 4/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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