Happy Feet

Happy Feet asks a lot of patience from anyone who wants a neat children’s adventure, because it keeps sliding between penguin comedy, musical numbers, and a more serious message about the environment. By our assessment, the dance-and-song angle is what makes it memorable: it gives the film motion and a playful oddness that few animated adventures have. The downside is that the mix can feel busy, and the tonal shifts are not always graceful. In practice it plays like a glossy family animation that wants to be cute, musical, and socially aware all at once. Compared with more straightforward animated adventures, it is less tidy and more peculiar, which is part of its appeal. It suits viewers who are happy with a story that wanders a bit and does not mind the message being very visible. Happy Feet is at its best when it lets the movement and the music do the talking.