Review of Happy Feet (2006) by Chadshiira — 12 Mar 2007

"Happy Feet" is a kids movie; it's also a surprisingly intellectual one. When the penguin elders blame dance for a dip in the fish supply, you'll hear unmistakable echoes of irrational claims made by religious zealots who explain some calamity as being the result of sin.

"Happy Feet" also quotes "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" with clever subtlety. Music is used to communicate with the extra-terrestrials in the Spielberg film, but it's dance that is used here to "talk" with the "aliens".

Mumble(Elijah Wood) is a prophet(dance is used here as the gospel, or perhaps, Esperanto expressed in a kinetic form) of sorts; rather than speak in tongues, he speaks with his feet to communicate with a higher being.

Interestingly, the religion(or organized paganism) in this penguin society is secular music(although Queen's "Somebody to Love" has distinct gospel overtones). Popular song is the text that's followed by the flightless orthodox.

These birds are godless Bacchanal heathens who bump and grind to salacious Prince songs. You know, maybe this isn't a kids' movie after all.