WARNING: MAY CAUSE TOE-TAPPING.

In Antarctica a very special emperor penguin called Mumble is born; unlike all the others he can dance but not sing, which makes his life a lot harder. A film that starts cute and corny, with the penguins performing “Kiss” by Prince, and that silliness recurs too often for my taste; I don’t see the point in having these animals put on Broadway versions of old pop tunes. Still, this is easily one of the most technically advanced animated films I’ve seen, with stunning views and penguins that do look like real animals. There’s original ingredients, but the film loses its way near the end.

2006-U.S.-Australia. Animated. 108 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by George Miller. Song: “The Song of the Heart” (Prince). Voices of Elijah Wood (Mumble), Robin Williams (Ramon/Lovelace), Brittany Murphy (Gloria), Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving… Anthony LaPaglia, Steve Irwin, Chrissie Hynde.

Trivia: Mumble’s dancing was choreographed by Broadway dancer Savion Glover. Followed by Happy Feet Two (2011).

Oscar: Best Animated Feature Film. BAFTA: Best Animated Feature Film. Golden Globe: Best Original Song.

IMDb