OVERVIEW
Five years after the Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, George Miller returned to his dancing penguins with a bigger budget, grander ambitions, and a collection of loosely connected storylines desperately trying to justify the sequel’s existence. They never quite manage.
Mumble (Elijah Wood) is now a father struggling to connect with his young son Erik (Ava Acres), who feels like an outsider because he can’t dance (sounds familiar?). After being ridiculed by the colony, Erik runs away with two friends to find a place where he might fit in, following Ramon (Robin Williams) to another penguin colony, where they meet Sven (Hank Azaria), a penguin who apparently can fly. Mumble goes after them, and their journey back somehow involves rescuing a stranded elephant seal. Meanwhile, a massive iceberg traps the Emperor Penguin colony in a valley, leaving Mumble to find a way to rescue his community. Somewhere in between, two krill (Brad Pitt and Matt Damon) embark on an existential adventure of their own.
BACKGROUND
The first Happy Feet made plenty of money, so a sequel was hardly surprising, although it apparently came from Miller himself, who claimed he had already started thinking about one during the final stages of production on the original. He also took the opportunity to move the animation from Animal Logic to his newly established Dr. D Studios in Sydney, hoping to take advantage of Australian talent. The ambitions were considerably greater, with most character models rebuilt from scratch and particular attention paid to the penguins’ facial expressions. The film was also designed for 3D, something Miller had experimented with on the original but couldn’t fully implement. Most of the voice cast returned, with the notable change being P!nk replacing Brittany Murphy, who tragically passed away between the films. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon joined as the two (not-so-secretly gay) krill, reportedly accepting the roles largely because their children loved the original.
THE REVIEW
And the film is a mess. And not a very entertaining one at that.
Despite some impressive visuals and sweeping cinematography, particularly during the dance numbers, where monumental wide shots convey a jaw-dropping number of penguins moving in unison, the film somehow feels far smaller and more disjointed than its predecessor. Its storytelling is not all that different from the many direct-to-DVD sequels Disney released in the 1990s to capitalize on its most recognizable brands, just considerably more expensive.
Like those films, the narrative moves from one disconnected event to another, often spending far too long on an uninteresting situation, such as the stranded elephant seal. Connecting these arcs is an idea that somewhat complements the first film, which explored how individual voices could challenge established conventions and make a difference. This time, the idea is that everything is connected, and when everyone brings their unique abilities together, great things can happen. It’s a cute theme, spoiled within the film’s first few minutes when a narrator spells it all out before the story has even started.
The songs, in general, are a huge downgrade, with the exception of “Under Pressure” near the end. Elsewhere, the covers feel out of place and awkward, especially a head-scratching rendition of “We Are the Champions” and “Dragostea Din Tei.” John Powell’s score also makes little use of the first film’s themes, with much of its scope and choral grandeur noticeably absent. The almost biblical quality that gave the original some of its most memorable musical moments is largely gone as well.
The biggest problem, however, is the characters, nearly all of whom are extremely annoying this time around. Mumble is a terrible father who doesn’t seem to have learned anything from his own experiences in the first film, and a bad husband who barely reacts when Sven openly flirts with his wife. He spends most of the film annoyed with everyone and complaining about everything, before suddenly seeing the light when his son sings a shrill operatic song recognizing his father’s virtues. Robin Williams’s Ramon is a creep, and everything involving Sven is insufferable. Despite the improved animation and character models, the penguins’ designs remain largely unappealing, often downright ugly.
The silver lining, outside the impressive grand vistas, is the krill subplot. Damon and Pitt’s banter provides a few chuckles, and their absurd existential adventure, disconnected as it may be from everything else, feels like a breath of fresh air amid so much awfulness.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Happy Feet Two is a disjointed and exhausting sequel with almost no redeeming qualities beyond its impressive animation and sweeping cinematography. Its irritating characters, awkward musical numbers, and endless collection of uninteresting episodes make it a chore to sit through. Just listen to the “Under Pressure” cover on its own and discard the rest.
- Where to watch
Netflix
Crave- Where to watch
Max
Play trailer
- Original title
- Happy Feet Two
- Director
- George Miller
- Cast
- Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, P!nk, E. G. Daily, Johnny A. Sanchez, Lombardo Boyar, Sofía Vergara, Common
- Rated
- PG
- Screenwriter
- Warren Coleman, George Miller, Gary Eck, Paul Livingston
- Composer
- John Powell
- Country
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $130 million
- Box office
- $150.406 million