Happy Feet

Post by **ShyViolet** » November 20th, 2006, 7:22 pm

Post by **James** » November 20th, 2006, 7:28 pm

BTW - I don't mind an environmental message. Just something a little more accessible, not some magical Michael Moore style without any warning!

Post by **Ben** » November 20th, 2006, 9:38 pm

Wow! Sounds like The Wild/Madagascar backwards!

Very cleverly marketed by Warners, and I wonder how it's getting all those good reviews? And beating Bond with a $42m take??

Not surprised Elijah was the best - he's an <I>actor</I> after all, as opposed to the loud comedians and other less experienced thesps on the soundtrack.

I was going to see this, but may wait. However, you've got me curious to see how loony-bonkers this plays out!

Post by **James** » November 20th, 2006, 9:48 pm

Let me add that now that you guys are expecting it you may say it wasn't that bad. But I went in expecting the cute harmless little penguin movie the commercials have been promising for months now. If I had known what was coming my response may have been more muted.

As for critical acclaim, and not to derail us into a political debate, but when was the last time Hollywood or the critics panned a film with a left of center message?

As for the money, I'd bet it was due to the commercials making this look like Shrek with penguins, rather than An Inconvenient Truth with penguins! Maybe a sharper than usual 2nd week drop due to word of mouth?

Post by **Ben** » November 20th, 2006, 9:51 pm

Hmmm...could be right. Interesting if it drops more than 60% next week.

Post by **Groaning** » November 21st, 2006, 2:59 am

Ben wrote:Hmmm...could be right. Interesting if it drops more than 60% next week.

NO WAY!!!!
Good/great WOM AND Thanksgiving => sub 20 % drop.

Post by **ShyViolet** » November 21st, 2006, 4:38 am

However, you've got me curious to see how loony-bonkers this plays out!

Me too!

Very cleverly marketed by Warners,

Yeah, just like how Disney made Hunchback look like it was all about one big party and not a deformed outcast, his dead mother and the sadisitic priest who secretly lusts after a Gypsy woman.

Marketing can do anything!

Post by **Groaning** » December 10th, 2006, 5:14 am

Here's my review of Happy Feet:

My expectations were high, after hilarious trailers, a nice marketing and great reviews. But, after leaving the theatre, I said to myself: This movie was amazing.

When you watch Happy Feet, you probably have to accustom yourself to the style of the movie: The mixture of realistic (penguins, life of the penguins, humans) and of completely non-realistic stuff (singing, dancing). But if you accustomed yourself to the style, then you'll discover a whole new way of an animated movie. Such a movie was never done before!

Happy Feet is the story of Mumble. And even in the early, sad parts of the movie you feel touched, you feel the heart of the movie. And then, the next scene is again a fantastic musical number!! That's again a mix of Happy Feet: the sad story of Mumble and the music, which makes you wanna stand up und dance! (That's probably what I'm going to do when I have it on DVD

)

The trailers were hilarious, so: Is the movie hilarious too?
Many expected a very funny movie, and in some parts I really laughed so much (My waaaay...., the Amigos) But the heart-parts remain to be the most.

And now, I come to the end of the movie, which was so strong: (SPOILER!)
When Mumble is in the zoo, you really feel how he feels. And then, swoosh-swoosh, he's back to his colony. That was pretty fast and I had a few question, but I didn't care about those questions when the end arrived. And the end worked very, very well.

Bottom Line:
Happy Feet is funny, heart-warming, fresh, informatory and just A GREAT MOVIE!!!
One of the best movies this year, and in my top 25 animated movies of all time.

Happy Feet (german version, but the songs were OV)
A+

Post by **Ben** » December 10th, 2006, 8:35 am

We're happy you liked Happy Feet, Groaning (maybe it works better in German!?), but your signature picture is slightly too large. Can you reduce it a bit please - thanks.

Post by **Groaning** » December 11th, 2006, 12:04 pm

Now better?

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 15th, 2006, 9:09 pm

Here's an interesting view of Happy Feet from VFX Hell (don't worry, no swear words for once.) There's been a lot of, shall we say *tension* on that site due to Happy Feet's success....

BTW no user name, for some reason they all have the same name now...(??)

I haven't seen HF yet but...it still puts me off. A lot. I'll rent it when it comes out or try to catch it over the holidays, I know someone should view a film beforehand of course, but as soon as I heard "more penguins" and "dancing" my interest plummeted.

And the basic plot STILL reminds me quite a bit of "The Trumpet of the Swan".

hyuk
...a bewildering hash...never very involving

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Happy Feet dances up a storm, but instead of smiles, Miller's cloudy creation will surely elicit blank stares from duped parents and head-spinning confusion from little kids.

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This curious ecological parable was directed by George Miller (Babe: Pig in the City), who still has an eye and a sense of humor but on this particular outing can't get the script he wrote with three others to make much sense.

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Miller has tried to make three or four different movies at once, the result occasionally lapsing into a state of noisy incoherence.

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It piles lots of contemporary issues on what should be a simple children’s fable and becomes an overlong, emotionally muted and tiresome epic.

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The long march across the Antarctic wasteland ... sometimes feels just as arduous as the real thing.

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Even the wee ones may start to notice something's amiss when the movie's theme goes from "be yourself" to 'we must regulate the overfishing of the Antarctic oceans.' No, for real

Post by **Dacey** » December 16th, 2006, 11:09 am

Vi, you might like it. You just might.

I know that I did.

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 16th, 2006, 9:49 pm

Hmmm....

I'll get back to you on that.

Post by **James** » December 16th, 2006, 10:02 pm

Miller has tried to make three or four different movies at once, the result occasionally lapsing into a state of noisy incoherence.

Very very accurate description. Moulin Rouge at the beginning, assorted animated films in the middle, and An Inconvenient Truth at the end!

Post by **Meg** » December 17th, 2006, 9:21 am

I saw it yesterday in IMAX, and I really liked it. It had it's problems, yes, but overall I was very entertained.