Plot: What’s it about?
Has it really been six years since Happy Feet first came out? I guess time, unlike penguins, flies. I remember the original for a few reasons: at the time I still had an unhealthy obsession with Nicole Kidman (that’s now passed). I remember that the film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film and beat out a Pixar film (Cars) and that’s only happened one other time; when Shrek beat out Monsters Inc.. Every other time a Pixar film has been up for Best Animated film, it’s come home with the award. Back in 2006, Happy Feet was hot on the heels of the previous year’s March of the Penguins so the timing was right, though these penguins were far more loveable than those in the documentary. Nevertheless, over five years have passed and we’re now presented with Happy Feet Two. Will it deliver more of the same or have we lost our interest in our flightless birds?
Our hero from the first film, Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood), now has an offspring of his own. Erik (voiced by Ava Acres) has somewhat of an aversion to dancing. But he eventually gets up the nerve and it backfires. Together with his pals, they “skip town” so to speak, but they encounter a new flock of penguins. Led by the charismatic Sven (voiced by Hank Azaria), a penguin who can…FLY! But this is the least of Erik’s problems as Mother Nature gets involved. When the ice starts to melt, it creates a problem in which Erik and his friends are now isolated from their family and friends. They’re “outside the bowl” so to speak and desperately want to get in. There’s a sub plot involving two krill (Bill and Will voiced by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt respectively) who realize the futility of their existence at the bottom of the food chain. But they’re all creatures and they must all work to overcome the forces that have been thrown their way. The question is…will they?
There’s a reason that Happy Feet Two didn’t take home the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. First off, it wasn’t nominated and secondly it just lacked the spark of the original. Yes, I realize that kids will be entertained and there’s enough A-List actors to raise a few eyebrows, but that’s about it. I actually dug out my copy of the original and watched that after this and it’s clear to see which is better. Vocal giants Robin Williams and Hank Azaria lend their talents here and while they’re an asset, some things just don’t seem to make sense. Yes, they’re penguins and they’re cute and fuzzy (well, the smaller ones anyway) but the elements just didn’t seem to form a cohesive plot. Again, the kids probably won’t know or care and they’ll most likely be rightfully entertained by Williams’ Ramon and Lovelace characters. Still, the animated films are becoming more and more common and the bar is constantly being raised. With Happy Feet Two it seems that the bar was lowered a bit.
Video: How does it look?
There’s really no denying that this film would look spectacular on any setup. The wide 2.40:1 AVC HD image is crystal clear throughout and with the stark blue skies being in most every scene, this is one of the most colorful films I’ve seen in a while. Detail is simply amazing, with the little hairs on Erik and his friends’ “fur” being immediately noticeable. Things like the little bubbles in the water having a defined edge and the individual krill all look amazing. As expected, this movie was made for 3D but this is the 2D version reviewed. It’s of no consequence as this looks as we’d expect. The entire spectrum is used here and with great effectiveness. While the story might be somewhat lacking, the image isn’t – it’s perfect.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was a bit surprised when the opening sequence featured thousands of penguins, in sequence no less, singing Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and then segued into an L.L. Cool J song. Do you think these songs might be lost on the target audience? Heck, these songs were popular when I was in high school. Still, the movie is a musical and it does sound downright amazing. The DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack is uses every speaker that you own and probably a few that you don’t. LFE get involved on several occasions to boot. Spoken vocals are strong and well-centered, though it did take me a minute to figure out which krill was voiced by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt (they sound eerily similar). On a technical level, this soundtrack delivers and your little ones might even be singing some songs by Queen when all is said and done.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There’s an assortment of supplements here, but not a whole lot to them. Then again I keep telling myself I’m about 35 years older than the target demographic so I wonder why any extras were included at all? A discussion for another time, perhaps? We start off with some expected featurettes like “Helping Penguins and Pals” and “Running with Boadicea” though I found a bit more interest in “How to Draw a Penguin.” I’m someone with absolutely no artistic skill whatsoever, so yes I actually did try and draw the penguin. It helped, but I’m sure practice makes perfect. “I Taut I Taw a Putty Tat” is an included WB short featuring Sylvester and Tweety. “The Amazing Voices of Happy Feet Two” focuses on just that – talents like Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Common and Hank Azaria. We also get a new song from Pink (who voices Gloria in the movie). The disc is also BD-Live enabled with an UltraViolet copy and a DVD as well.
Be sure to check out the free Happy Feet Two movie app for iPhone, iPad and iPad Touch. The app synchs with the Blu-ray disc to provide enhanced content and interactive features. http://bit.ly/zUyBxF
Happy Feet Two – Moving Up the Food Chain
