Things That Parents Need To Know
Parents need to know that this cuddly animated sequel will be a must-see for fans of the original Happy Feet, not to mention kids and animal lovers. Strong role models in Mumble and Erik can be relatable to kids, and the parents will also find this enjoyable with its' use of toe-tapping musical numbers and a few emotional moments. As with the first one, this sequel has quite a few mild innuendos and some dangerous action sequences that will upset young kids. Parents will also raise their eyebrows at the repeated references to homosexuality, as well as environmental messages.
Review
The original Happy Feet, released five years ago was a movie I didn't get to see until just recently. The story of Mumble the Penguin was an intriguing one, though it wasn't an animated classic. Will this one be any different?
In this sequel, Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) and Gloria's (this time voiced by pop star P!nk (credited as Alecia Moore) in place of the late Brittany Murphy) son Erik is having the hardest time trying to dance. In desperation, he runs away to the Adelie penguin kingdom, where he finds a new hero in The Mighty Sven (voiced by Hank Azaria). However, when an earthquake causes a glacier to trap all of the penguins in the Emperor penguin kingdom, Erik, Mumble, and others must find a way to free them...
Positive messages abound in this sequel with important morals on family, friendship, fatherhood and determination, as well as helping others and self-sacrifice. Erik soon realizes who his true hero is (his Dad) and Mumble has dependable friends in Ramon and Lovelace (both once again voiced by the incomparable Robin Williams). The animation sparkles with lifelike backgrounds and realistic looking characters combined with some live-action shots of humans. The music orchestrations by John Powell is very well-done, and the singing is not as constant as it was in the first film.
Wood, Williams, Pink, E.G. Daily (voice of Erik) and Azaria are the main stand-outs in the cast, with some additional starpower including Common, Anthony LaPaglia, Sofia Vergara, and Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.
Occasional negative content includes some dangerous action with realistic-looking avalanches and a couple of leopard seal chases that end up in close calls, which may end up scaring some younger children. There are also a couple of the usual jokes on bird excrements. A few mild innuendos show up with Ramon flirting with his new girlfriend. The term "fluff" is used as play-ons for profane and crude words, i.e. "take your little furball and fluff off" and "get your fluffy on, shake your tail" (as a twist on a Justin Timberlake song), and one song sounds like it has a use of another mild curse word. The main problem this film has is that there are a couple of references to homosexuality that take place with Will and Bill, with Bill having a bit of a same-gender desire in a couple of brief scenes. The good news is that Bill later forgets about it and realizes they need to be a part of their swarm. The only other point that I have to say is that the Mighty Sven's tale is told in a Superman-type way, and is almost seeming like he's being worshipped as a god-like figure.
Happy Feet Two is a brilliantly-animated film, but it uses its' time on sing-and-dance routines rather than eductational material (something I didn't mention in the first films' review). But, the negative content, particularly the toilet humor, and religious and environmental aspects are a far less concern than before. The krill just didn't need a lot of screentime and perhaps a couple of terms and songs were better off unsaid (if that's even a word). So, in other words, while I'm personally not a fan of these penguins, this film improves by being a bit wiser than its' predecessor.
Happy Feet Two is rated PG for some mild mature humor and brief dangerous action.
POSITIVE VS. NEGATIVE Summary:
Positive Negative
--Positive lessons on fatherhood, and the importance --A few toilet humor gags.
of family and friendship. --Some innuendo.
--Nice animation. --A few mildly scary sequences.
--Good music score.
Outcome: Mixed.
