Happy Feet
Warner Brothers
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In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing--which is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing. Though Mumble's mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways. Mumble is just too different--especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins--the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon, the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble's cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru, a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life's questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.

Another penguin movie? Who have think it? With the runaway success of The March of the Penguins, the penguin genre was born. And why not? They're so darned cute and cuddly that I'm sure most every school-aged tot and their puppy would want to get one of their very own. The computer animated Happy Feet keeps the cute and cuddly, borrowing a lot of the same info and tidbits from March to make a more traditional piece of family fare. The results are mixed.

Overall, the look of Happy Feet is its greatest asset. I mean, who can object to tap dancing penguins. I know I can't. There are times where the shear scale of the film is just magical to see as hundreds (possibly thousands) of pieces of binary code disguised as penguins dance to modern beats.

Video: How's it look?
The computer generated South Pole comes alive with the breath-taking transfer on Happy Feet's DVD transfer. There is no visible loss or blemishes in the enhanced widescreen picture.

Audio: How's it sound?
Seeing as how music is a vital part to Happy Feet, it is good to know that the tunes are vibrant with the Dolby Surround 5.1 EX audio. The additional French and Spanish tracks get the same treatment.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Two newly finished scenes: "Mumble Meets a Blue Whale" featuring the voice of the late Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin and "A Happy Feet Moment" in which Mumble gets an interesting escort into the ocean. Director George Miller introduces the first scene.
• "Dance Like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat" is a short dance lesson featuring the film's co-choreographer Savion Glover.
• Music videos for Gia's "Hit Me Up" and Prince's "The Song of the Heart"
• Classic Merrie Melodies cartoon "I Love to Singa".
• Theatrical trailer.
• Trailers for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fred Claus, IMAX Deep Sea 3D, The Nativity Story and Nancy Drew.
• Public service announcement geared at protecting sea life.
• English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Closing Thoughts
Happy Feet is a little under whelming both as a film and as a DVD. Both have their moments, yet overall I feel somewhat disappointed in both instances. Seeing as how this was such a blockbuster during its theatrical release, one might have expected something a little more special with its ensuing DVD.


Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com