Happy feet?Yeah I guess this should be 1 of the current hotter movies around in town, that will have most people talking about. I gotta admit, it got my attention a few weeks back with its trailer of a cute baby penguin dancing away like there's no tomorrow.
Having watched it, I must say, it has really some magnificent CG scenes, animations and characters done. For some reasons however, I just can't seem to shake off this unexplainable uncomfortable feeling from the movie.
I found it kinda awkward and funny with the way the producers have painted the scenario. The opening part had this mystical "penguin god" who provided fish and whom the penguins believed in was kinda...out of place in my opinion? Ok, maybe it adds colour to an otherwise mundane animal world the movie takes place in. But from what I've seen all along, when we bring in such human aspects into the picture, the purpose usually includes drawing a parallel with our human world, and making a statement about it.
And because of this 'mystical' penguin god character in the picture, it also brings about the "villians" of the movie, who happened to be the leaders/elders of the penguin body. Throughout the movie, they're portrayed to be religious stick-in-the-muds who have zero tolerance for members of the body who are different, and who don't adhere to the norm of penguin behavior which is to sing. The prominent figure of the leaders was this pastor-like figure who constantly spewed words of condemnation and emotional bondage. Another "religious leader" penguin was shown to be a fraud, (the picture of a tele-evangelist came to my mind), who carried on the masquerade of a "know-it-all prophet" offering services for gains, despite knowing that he isn't really that special at all.
The protagonist main penguin, Mumble, spoke up and suggested to the penguin body not to believe in the un-seen angered "penguin god" as the cause of the lack of fish, but rather the "aliens" whom can be seen. And at the scene where their journey leads them to finding the 1st trace of the "aliens" (humans), the scene shows a church building in the middle of antartica right next to the damaging fishing activity...which I have yet to find a purpose in regards to the story"Aiyoo...chill man! It's just a movie...what's with all the nit-picking!?"
Yep, so I just wanna clarify that the views expressed here are just minor feelings of mine when I watched it, for I found them unneccesary in some way. And just so that you don't think it's all from a biased christian viewpoint, here's an excerpt from a non-christian online movie review....
I also had to question one of the song choices – Tom Jones's "Kiss" (or Prince's, depending on your point of view). Do you really need the lyric "I just want your body, baby, from dusk till dawn" in a children's film? I would have advised against it.
Finally, "Happy Feet" does go into somewhat of an anti-religion rant. The elder penguins warn against Mumble's "pagan ways" and his angering their penguin god. It was like watching "Footloose." While I'm all for encouraging kids to express themselves freely, doing it along with a thinly veiled religious attack seemed inappropriate in a kiddie movie.
[source : comingsoon.net movie review]
So yeah...don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash this movie..I do quite like it and its characters and all. The empowerment of appreciative words from the latino pengiuns(they're cool!) to Mumble's dancing was great. It was encouraging to see Mumble not conforming, nor was he ashamed of what others thought of his dancing, but being who he is and being self sacrificial.
But I just can't shake off this feeling of a subtle anti tone about the church being narrow-minded and closed towards peoples' choice for a radical, alternate lifestyle. (What lifestyle? That's for your own intepretation heh.)
I'm sorry if my post spoiled your appetite for the movie, cause it wasn't my intention. Feel free to give it a watch, and lemme know what you think about it if you will. (Or just lament at how super sensitive I was towards the movie haha.)
In the mean time, keep those feet happy!
