Happy Feet
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| Happy Feet | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | George Miller |
| Produced by | George Miller Doug Mitchell Bill Miller |
| Written by | Warren Coleman John Collee George Miller Judy Morris |
| Starring | Elijah Wood Robin Williams Brittany Murphy Hugh Jackman Nicole Kidman Hugo Weaving Fat Joe |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Distributed by |  Warner Bros. Village Roadshow Pictures 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 17 November 2006 8 December 2006 26 December 2006 |
| Running time | 1 hr. 48 minutes |
| Country | Australia / USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100 million |
| Official website | |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Happy Feet is an Academy Award-winning Australian-produced computer-animated comedy-drama film, directed by George Miller. Released in the U.S. on November 17, 2006, it was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures. It is the first animated feature film produced by Kennedy Miller in association with Animal Logic. Though primarily an animated film, it does incorporate live action humans in certain scenes. The film was simultaneously released in both conventional theatres and in IMAX 2D format.[1] The studio has hinted that a future IMAX 3D release was still a possibility.[2] Happy Feet is the first animated film that failed to win the Best Animated Feature Annie Award and went on to win the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.[citation needed]
The film is dedicated to Steve Irwin, Nick Enright, Micheal Jonson and Robby McNeilly Green.
Contents |
[edit] Production
The animation in Happy Feet invested heavily in motion capture technology, with the dance scenes acted out by human dancers. The tap-dancing for Mumble in particular was provided by Savion Glover who was also co-choreographer for the dance sequences.[3] The dancers went through "Penguin School" to learn how to move like a penguin, and also wore head apparatus to mimic a penguin's beak.[4]
[edit] Plot
Set in an Antarctic emperor penguin colony, the film establishes that every penguin must sing a unique song (called a "Heartsong") to attract a soul mate. This is based in fact, since emperor couples court each other and recognize one another by their unique calls. One particular couple, Norma Jean and Memphis, pair up and produce an egg. The egg is left in Memphis' care while Norma Jean and the other females leave to fish for several weeks. While the males are struggling through the harsh winter, Memphis drops the egg, briefly exposing it to the freezing Antarctic temperatures. The resulting chick - the film's protagonist, Mumble - is tone deaf and nearly incapable of singing. However, Mumble has an astute talent for tap dancing.
This ability is frowned upon by the colony's elders, who do not tolerate deviance of any kind. As a result, Mumble is ostracized throughout his childhood, with only his parents and his friend Gloria to turn to for help. Mumble then grows to a young adult, still half-covered in fluffy down. Through a series of mishaps - mainly a mad chase by a hungry leopard seal - the young penguin finds himself far from his home and within the carefree colony of the adélies - penguins small in stature, but fiercely loyal to those they call friends. He quickly befriends a small group of bachelors who call themselves the amigos - Ramón, the smallest of them, is the unofficial "leader" of sorts. The amigos quickly embrace Mumble's dance moves and assimilate him into their misfit group.
Mumble's joy at finding acceptance for his difference is cut short when strange "alien discoveries" occur; after accidentally starting an avalanche a long-frozen human excavator tumbles out from a glacier, and Mumble is intrigued. Driven by curiosity, he sets out to find answers. Tracking his way back to Emperor Land, Mumble inadvertently causes most of the colony to begin dancing while trying to impress Gloria. Noah, the elder, sees the lack of fish as punishment from the Great 'Guin, their god, regarding Mumble's dancing. He then exiles Mumble from the colony, but Mumble vows to Noah that he will find the real cause of the famine, and travels across vast territories with his friends. Gloria tries to help him, but is stopped by her father, Maurice (Dee Bradley Baker). After narrowly escaping a few killer whales, the birds finally come face to face with a legion of huge trawlers, all laden with fish caught around the Antarctic coast. Mumble follows after them fearlessly, leaving his friends behind to preserve his legacy.
Mumble ends up in a penguin exhibit at a marine park, and fervently tries to communicate with the "aliens" (humans) who surround him. When his pleas fail, Mumble nearly succumbs to madness after 3 months of confinement in the sterile glass prison. When a child taps on the glass wall one day, Mumble is woken from his stupor and dances in response, whereupon the child runs away. He becomes disappointed until she comes back with her mother. Soon, a large crowd gathers around the exhibit, taking pictures and phoning people. The astounded humans finally pay attention. He is released to the wild (the next scene is of him at his flock) with a tracking device, and leads the "aliens" home to his native colony. The other penguins are now convinced the aliens do exist. Soon, a helicopter arrives with four men in orange suits. The explorers film the penguins dancing and bring this footage back with them. Different governments debate what to make of this footage and a worldwide debate ensues. Eventually humans ban Antarctic Fishing to preserve all of these "dancing penguins".
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Mumble "Happy Feet", voiced by E.G. Daily as a chick and Elijah Wood as an adult, is the protagonist of the film. Mumble is different from his fellow emperor penguins in appearance as well as in demeanor. His unusual behavior is not openly accepted by his people, but eventually proves valuable for their survival. Mumble becomes a hero among the other penguins. Savion Glover wore a motion capture suit while tap dancing to record Mumble's dancing.
Gloria, voiced by Alyssa Shafer as a chick, and Brittany Murphy as an adult, is the only one that appreciates Mumble apart from his parents and the amigos. Knowing him from when he was an egg, she often protects Mumble from mocking peers. Like most of the young male penguins, Mumble is infatuated with Gloria, who is one of the most talented singers in his generation. Though she often feels that Mumble is "embarrassing her" with his dancing, she eventually understands near the end Mumble's passion, and that he couldn't possibly be forced to change. Gloria's Heartsong is Earth, Wind, and Fire's "Boogie Wonderland".
Ramón, voiced by Robin Williams, is an adélie penguin, and the head of the misfit amigos. Ramón and the others befriend Mumble and help him on his journey to the Forbidden Shore in his search for the "aliens." Ramón also proves himself a talented singer and attempts to help Mumble to woo Gloria with a Spanish rendition of "My Way".
Memphis, voiced by Hugh Jackman, is Mumble's father and a caricature of Elvis Presley. When Norma Jean, his mate, went off to fish, Memphis accidentally dropped their egg. Although Memphis quickly retrieves the egg and tries to convince himself that no harm was done, it is alluded to that this slip is responsible for Mumble's strange and non-penguinistic behavior. Memphis never fully forgives himself for this early mistake; although he desperately wants Mumble to change, he still obviously loves him and when he allows Mumble to go into exile, he goes into a deep state of depression. Memphis' Heartsong is Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel".
Norma Jean, voiced by Nicole Kidman, is Mumble's mother and a caricature of Marilyn Monroe. She is highly protective of her son and, despite his differences, she thinks of Mumble's dancing as "cute," and emotionally supports him while others doubt him. She has a distinctive small 'spot' of dark feathers on her chest, reminiscent of the beauty mark on Marilyn Monroe's face. The name 'Norma Jean' was also Marilyn Monroe's real name. Norma Jean's Heartsong is Prince's Kiss.
Noah the Elder, voiced by Hugo Weaving, is the oldest, and allegedly wisest, penguin within the emperor colony, and is an acute stickler for tradition. Noah speaks with a distinctive Scottish brogue. Accompanied by several contemporaries which form a "council" of sorts, Noah is the wizened leader of the colony, and he does not tolerate deviance in any form. He evicted Mumble from the colony for his tap dancing and the belief that the dancing had angered the Great Guin and had resulted the famine. Later when Mumble came back to the colony, Noah, confronted by the reality of the "aliens", ended up tap dancing along with the rest of the penguins.
Lovelace, voiced by Robin Williams, is a rockhopper penguin and self-proclaimed oracle of the adélie penguin colony. He charges other penguins one pebble in exchange for prophecies. He speaks in a deep baritone, with the inflection of a stereotypical evangelical preacher. Lovelace maintains a harem, and boasts of his power and sex appeal. He aids Mumble in his quest to find the "aliens," and also serves as the narrator of the film. For much of his screen time Lovelace is shown with a "sacred talisman" around his neck; this is a plastic six-pack ring used to hold cans together. This later proves a problem for him, as it starts to choke him about halfway through the movie. He is freed from it during an encounter with killer whales.
Lombardo, Néstor, Raul, and Rinaldo are voiced by Johnny Sanchez III, Carlos Alazraqui, Lombardo Boyar and Jeff Garcia, respectively. Along with Ramón, they are collectively known as "the amigos," a group of misfit bachelor adélies. They admire Mumble's dancing as a way to impress the chicas and take him in as a friend and equal. They accompany Mumble on his journey to the Forbidden Shore, and keep the legacy of their friend alive long after he leaves to pursue the "aliens."
[edit] Minor characters
Seymour is an emperor penguin born of the same generation as Mumble and Gloria. He is voiced by César Flores as a chick, and Fat Joe as an adult. His Heartsong is "The Message," a hip-hop single by Grandmaster Flash.
Miss Viola, voiced by Magda Szubanski, is a "Penguin Elementary" teacher in the colony, responsible for a crèche which includes Mumble, Gloria, Seymour, and others.
Mrs. Astrakhan, voiced by Miriam Margolyes, is a highly respected singer in the colony. Miss Viola refers Memphis and Norma Jean to her when seeking to remedy Mumble's lack of vocal talents. She speaks with a strong Russian accent.
The Elders, voiced by Peter Carroll, Larry Moss, Lee Perry and Alan Shearman, are a group of older penguins who serve as Noah's council, as well as filling the role of his zealous watchdogs.
Boss Skua, also known as Alpha Skua in some international versions of the film, is voiced by Anthony LaPaglia with a heavy Manhattan accent. He is the leader of a flock of Mafia-like skua gulls who attempt to eat baby Mumble. He believes that he was abducted by aliens; the only explanation he can come up with for the yellow plastic identification ring on his leg. He is accompanied by three others, Dino, Frankie, and Vinnie, voiced respectively by Danny Mann, Mark Klastorin, and Michael Cornacchia.
Trev, Nev, Kev and Barry, voiced respectively by Steve Irwin, Nicholas McKay, Tiriel Mora and Richard Carter, are bull elephant seals who give Mumble and the amigos a dire warning about the "aliens" of the Forbidden Shore. They speak with ocker Australian accents.
The Leopard Seal, voiced by Roger Rose; a leopard seal who attempts to eat Mumble after the penguin is shunned from a graduation party.
[edit] References to other films
- Early in the pre-production Director/Producer George Miller called fellow Australian filmmaker John Weiley, of Heliograph Productions. He asked if he could view all the rushes of Emperor penguin footage from John's 1991 film for IMAX theaters Antarctica. [1] George viewed the footage in Sydney prior to announcing the production. Many of the sequences and behaviors are similar to real life images from the IMAX footage.
- Many sequences and plot devices in the film are similar to those in the Antarctic documentary March of the Penguins, released in 2005, because they both follow the natural history of the penguins' lives. Despite the similarities, both films were in production before details of either were announced. Happy Feet was partially inspired by earlier documentaries such as the BBC's Life in the Freezer.[5]
- Mumble hatches in a similar manner to the character of Littlefoot from the movie The Land Before Time, with the same music playing.
- Happy Feet also possessed a number of striking similarities to the EB White book, The Trumpet of the Swan, and its subsequent film adaptation. Mumble seems to fill the role of Louie, while Gloria represents Serena. In the movie, Serena's father's name was even Maurice-the same as the name of Gloria's father in Happy Feet. Lovelace could be compared to Joe Mantegna's character Monty in the film, or to the original book's Boatman while the Amigos, collectively, bare a similar role to that of Sam Beaver.
- When Mumble is found by the "aliens," he is transported to a zoo, which recalls the end sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A magellanic penguin that talks to Mumble speaks with a voice similar to that of Douglas Rain, the voice of HAL, the villain of 2001 asking for emotions from Mumble, whom the penguin calls Dave, 2001's protagonist. The most obvious pastiche is the sequence that zooms out from the center of Mumble/Dave's eye to the overhead shot of the zoo, region, planet, and finally, universe, symbolic of Mumble's isolated, conquered state.
- The idea of dancing penguins has a precursor in the classic Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins. In the film's celebrated animated sequence, Bert has an extended dance sequence with a group of penguin waiters, albeit in a soft shoe style. "Step in Time" is a reference to a musical number from Disney's film.
- Several sequences of the movie are very similar in both premise and execution to scenes in Don Bluth's 1995 animated film The Pebble and the Penguin - where a misfit penguin must compete with a villainous rival for the affections of one female.
- Plot similarity to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, in that both stories feature a bird who is ostracized by his elders for his persistent recourse to an atypical skill, only to learn something that will benefit his people forever.
- There are many similarities to the 1984 film Footloose, where a town has banned dancing. Noah the Elder, much like Reverend Shaw Moore, forbids the penguins from dancing because it would only bring about great "evil" (he blames the food shortage on Mumble's dancing).
- The end portion of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman's rendition of Prince's "Kiss" changes to a major key - very reminiscent of Moulin Rouge!, another Australian produced film featuring Kidman.
- The film ends with a floating feather, similar to Forrest Gump.
[edit] Music
Happy Feet is a jukebox musical, taking previously recorded songs and working them into the film's soundtrack to fit with the mood of the scene or character. Two soundtrack albums were released for the film; one containing songs from and inspired by the film, and another featuring John Powell's instrumental score. They were released on October 31, 2006 and December 19th, 2006, respectively.
[edit] Awards
[edit] Won
60th British Academy Film Awards
- Best Animated Feature Film
American Film Institute Awards 2006
- Honored as one of the Top Ten Best Films of the Year
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
- Best Animation
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
- Best Animated Film
Golden Trailer Awards[6]
- Best Music
Heartland Awards
- The Truly Moving Picture Award
- Best Animated Film
[edit] Nominations
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production
- Nominated for Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
[edit] Home video
Happy Feet was released on March 27, 2007[7] in the United States in three formats; DVD (in separate widescreen and pan and scan editions), Blu-ray Disc, and an HD-DVD/DVD flipper disc.[8]
Among the DVD's special features is a scene that was cut from the film where Mumble meets a blue whale and an albatross. The albatross was Steve Irwin's first voice role in the film before he voiced the elephant seal in the final cut. The scene was finished and included on the DVD in memory of Steve Irwin.
[edit] Video games
A video game based on the film was developed by A2M and published by Midway Games. It will be released for the following platforms: PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, GBA, NDS, and Wii.[9] Screenshots and demo clips of the various versions of the Happy Feet game can be seen at the official website.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Box office
| Weekend | Gross | Rank | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $41,533,432 | 1 | $41,533,432 |
| 2 | $37,038,046 | 1 | $99,256,766 |
| 3 | $17,545,418 | 1 | $121,501,018 |
| 4 | $12,904,413 | 2 | $137,932,841 |
| 5 | $8,358,421 | 4 | $149,244,791 |
| 6 | $5,163,474 | 8 | $160,521,910 |
| 7 | $7,650,181 | 9 | $179,152,000 |
| 8 | $4,004,462 | 13 | $185,414,182 |
The film opened at number one in the United States on its first weekend of release (November 17-19) grossing $41.6M and beating Casino Royale for the top spot.[10] It remained number one for the Thanksgiving weekend, making $51.6 million over the five-day period. In total, the film was the top grosser for three weeks, a 2006 box office feat matched only by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. As of March 8, 2007, Happy Feet has grossed $194.9 million in the U.S. and $172.1 million overseas, making about $367 million dollars worldwide. The film has been released in about 35 international territories at the close of 2006.[11][12][13]
The production budget was $100 million.[14]
[edit] Critical reviews
Happy Feet has received better than average reviews from film critics, and received a 75% "fresh" approval in the Rotten Tomatoes movie review aggregate site.
Kirk Honeycutt said that Happy Feet "astonishes," it has brilliant choreography and orchestration, and is entertaining for younger viewers. Honeycutt also said that, "[George] Miller boldly reaches for spiritual themes," and "happily, it all works."[15]
While Gene Seymour described Happy Feet as "a rich, absorbing story that isn't content to dazzle you with effects, but rouse your spirits." Seymour adds "nothing prepares you for its sweeping visual design and its conceptual energy."[16]
Moreover, Lou Lumenick praised Happy Feet for its "stunning visuals," calling the film "inspired" and "uplifting." Lumenick further added that "It's Dumbo meets Footloose," and "Happy Feet is not only the year's best animated movie, it's one of the year's best movies, period. Go."[17]
Ebert & Roeper gave it two thumbs up. A. O. Scott, Roger Ebert's temporary replacement, is quoted as saying "Happy Feet was made with enough skill, and enough heart, to get a thumbs up from me." Richard Roeper agreed, saying "I think kids will love it, because penguins are cute."[18]
Jordan Harper of The Village Voice was quoted as saying "If anything could tempt an adult to go see a dancing-penguin movie, it's the phrase 'from the guy who brought you Babe.' That movie got everything right about talking animals, but alas, George Miller does not live up to his earlier work here. Even the wee ones may start to notice something's amiss when the movie's theme goes from "be yourself" to 'we must regulate the overfishing of the Antarctic oceans.' No, for real."[19]
[edit] Environmental message
The movie contains an environmental message: although much of the film consists of a fairly standard story of a misfit struggling to find acceptance, the film's denouement shows a group of researchers taking video of the colony of dancing emperor penguins, and the footage is broadcasted globally. This precipitates a resolution to stop overfishing in the Antarctic. In addition, one sequence consists of the penguins encountering debris, such as plastic six-pack rings, floating in the sea; they wonder out loud, "They [the humans] have got to be around here somewhere - why would they leave all this behind?" In another scene, Mumble is rescued from an urban coastline and brought to a marine park, where he slowly loses his mind within the glass confines of a penguin exhibit. The bird slips into despair; when he incidentally dances one day, he attracts a crowd of astounded people. This leads to Mumble's freedom and eventual return to Antarctica. There, he dances again, encouraging most of his colony to join him. The humans see this, and the message is made clear after long, heated arguments.
According to the director, George Miller, the environmental message was not a major part of the original script, but "In Australia, we're very, very aware of the ozone hole," he said, "and Antarctica is literally the canary in the coal mine for this stuff. So it sort of had to go in that direction." This influence lead to a film with a more environmental tone. Miller said, "You can't tell a story about Antarctica and the penguins without giving that dimension."[20]
One interesting aspect of the environmental message in the film was who it reached. This film was not promoted or advertised as an 'environmental film,' but as a comedy or family movie, unlike such other films as An Inconvenient Truth, released the same year. Whereas many people opposed to the message in the latter film might intentionally not see it, "Happy Feet" got its point across to many people who were not expecting to see such a message. It might therefore have made more people environmentally conscious, while other similarly-themed movies mainly played to audiences who already supported the message.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Happy Feet: The IMAX Experience. IMAX. Retrieved on March 15, 2007.
- ^ Happy Feet Won’t Debut in IMAX 3-D. VFXWorld. Retrieved on March 15, 2007.
- ^ Savion Glover. Happy Feet [DVD]. Warner Brothers.
- ^ Kelley Abbey. Happy Feet [DVD]. Warner Brothers.
- ^ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19990883-16947,00.html
- ^ http://www.goldentrailer.com/gta7.html
- ^ http://videoeta.com/movie.html?via=form&id=78865
- ^ http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/432
- ^ http://www.midway.com/rxpage/Game_HappyFeet.html
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2006&wknd=46&p=.htm
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=happyfeet.htm
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/chart/
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=happyfeet.htm
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=8229
- ^ http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/ny-etmov24977684nov17,0,3326485.story
- ^ http://www.nypost.com/seven/11172006/entertainment/movies/ice_ice__baby__movies_lou_lumenick.htm
- ^ http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/061120.html
- ^ http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0646,harper,75042,20.html
- ^ Kelly, Kate (2006-11-17). The New Animated Film 'Happy Feet' Doesn't Dance Around Serious Issues. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on March 15, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Happy Feet at the Internet Movie Database
- Happy Feet at Rotten Tomatoes
- Happy Feet at Metacritic
- Happy Feet - Review
- Save Happy Feet
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2001: Shrek • 2002: Spirited Away • 2003: Finding Nemo • 2004: The Incredibles • 2005: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit • 2006: Happy Feet |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since April 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 2006 video games | 2006 films | Australian films | American films | Computer-animated films | English-language films | Films about penguins | Films featuring anthropomorphic characters | Musical films | Live-action/animated films | Warner Bros. films | 20th Century Fox films
