Happy Feet (2006)
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A tap-dancing emperor penguin must navigate the challenges of his colony and the mysteries of the Antarctic to find his place in the world.
The story
In a colony of emperor penguins where every male attracts a mate by singing a unique 'heartsong,' Mumble is an outcast. Unable to sing, he instead possesses a talent for tap-dancing, a skill that earns him ridicule from his peers and family. When Mumble discovers the local fish population is declining, he embarks on a journey across the harsh Antarctic landscape to uncover the cause. Along the way, he befriends a group of Adelie penguins known as 'the Amigos' and faces various dangers, all while trying to find a way to be accepted by his community and find his own identity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Every emperor penguin attracts a mate by singing a unique 'heartsong.' Mumble, a penguin who cannot sing but can tap dance, is ridiculed by his family and the elder Noah. He befriends five Adelie penguins called 'the Amigos' and a rockhopper penguin named Lovelace. During mating season, Mumble's dancing wins the heart of Gloria, but his actions lead to his exile by the elders. Mumble and the Amigos travel to the 'forbidden shore' to investigate the source of the fish shortage, where they encounter various dangers and eventually find a fleet of fishing boats. Mumble is captured and ends up in a marine park in Miami, where he performs for humans. He is eventually released back to Antarctica with a tracking device. He returns to his colony, confronts the elders, and his actions, captured by a research team, lead to a global ban on Antarctic overfishing, ultimately uniting the colony and the Amigos.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States; Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Miller
- Writers
- George Miller · writer; John Collee · writer; Judy Morris · writer; Warren Coleman · writer
- Cast and characters
- Elijah Wood · Mumble; Robin Williams · Ramón, Lovelace, Cletus, and the narrator; Brittany Murphy · Gloria; Hugh Jackman · Memphis; Nicole Kidman · Norma Jean; Hugo Weaving · Noah the Elder; Anthony LaPaglia · Skua Boss; Magda Szubanski · Miss Viola; Steve Irwin · Trev
- Genres
- animated; musical; comedy; adventure
- Themes
- identity; environmentalism; non-conformity
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- animal protagonist; musical; underdog story
- Franchise connections
- Happy Feet
- Reception
- Happy Feet received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its visuals, storyline and songs.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · scale: percentage · review count: 170; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- BAFTA Award · Best Animated Film · win; Academy Award · Best Animated Feature · win; Annie Award · Best Animated Feature · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Animated Feature · nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Song · win; Golden Trailer Award · Best Music · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first animated film produced by Kennedy Miller and Animal Logic.; A planned IMAX 3D release was cancelled due to budgetary issues.; The film's animation used motion capture technology with human dancers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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