Saturday, November 18, 2006

Happy Feet

So tonight Megan got the idea to go see "Happy Feet." The reviews were good and it was directed by the guy who did "Babe" but the premise? Dancing/singing penguins?

Like march of the penguins.
On drugs.
For Kids.

The poor marketers must have had a fit at this movie because what looks like another sappy penguin movie with a cute twist turns dark quickly with humans as the villains who are fishing away their food. It even tackles religious motives.'God (aka the great penguin) made everything! Have faith and follow tradition and we will be saved!" "No, God may have made everything, but its up to us to fix it!" One reviewer said it best, "I wasn't expecting "subversive" to be one of the adjectives I'd use to describe a family-targed animated film." The rest of the story arches through exile, followed by new cultures,an epic journey, discovery, more epic journey, communication and heroic resolution and justification.

Some how, and I really don't know how, they managed to make this somewhat disjointed musical about dacing singing penguins saving the environment not dumb. In fact, they managed to make it really quite good. All I know is I was smiling through most of it and laughing through the rest.

UPDATE:
I also found out after that this was a "G" movie according to who ever does those. But in the first 5 minutes they were singing "Kiss" by prince (U don't have 2 be beautiful 2 turn me on / I just need your body, baby, from dusk till dawn/ U don't need experience 2 turn me up there / U just leave/ it all up 2 me, I'm gonna show U what it's all about). And sex is a pervasive theme throughout the entire movie and some of the action sequences must be terrifying for young kids. I guess there is rating deflation going on.

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