DVD Reviews

Happy Feet Two - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Mar 14, 2012, 12:19 GMT

The sequel to "Happy Feet", the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet Two" returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica. Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven - a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model. But things get worse ...more

I’ve got two feet, but I might call them disappointed feet since I’m not happy with this sequel.  One thing that can’t be argued though is that the film is expertly animated so my disappointment with the preaching and storyline was distracted by the pretty images.  Not that any of that mattered to my kids.

The fleet footed emperor penguin Mumble (Elijah Wood) is back.  This time he and his lady love Gloria (Pink) have a son called Erik (Ava Acres).  Erik doesn’t share his father’s dancing skills and a disastrous performance has him, Boadicia (Meibh Campbell), and Atticus (Benjamin Flores, Jr.) running away. 

What they find is the Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria), a flying penguin, which Erik begins to admire.  Mumble goes looking for his son and returns with him.  What they find when they return is that the emperor penguins are trapped and it will take all their friends and courage to free them. 

Happy Feet Two has a confused and preachy storyline.  It seems that propaganda is more important than coherent storytelling.  At least the original Happy Feet cloaked its leanings (though sometimes not so surreptitious) in a feel good story that featured some fantastic animation and music.  It even won an Oscar. 

This sequel’s animation is awe inspiring and some of the music is fun to listen to.  They seem to want to cram too much stuff into the narrative.  Just when we’re hoping that things are going to change for our trapped penguins or other storylines, we cut to a couple of krill (Brad Pitt and Matt Damon) which takes us away from the main action. 

That and most of the lessons they want to tell us they beat us on the head with them.  Not that the characters supposedly teaching these lessons don’t turn around and do the same thing themselves.  I wondered if some of this stuff was added just to give some actors something to do – such as Pitt and Damon – we got ‘em now we have to find characters for them. 

Not that my kids noticed any of this since they were mesmerized by the high quality animation.  Twas sound and fury signifying nothing. 

Happy Feet Two is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1).  Special features, presented in high definition, include the Happy Feet Two movie app that puts content on your iPad or iPhone, the 25 minute “Behind the Story” making of, 11 minutes of Music including Pink’s new song and three sing alongs, and the 4 minute “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat” Tweety and Slyvester cartoon.  Disc two is a DVD/digital copy. 

If you’re expecting the soul, joy, and fun of the first film, you’ll be disappointed.  It seems they wanted to cram so much into the film that they forgot to put in a good script.  It certainly looks good though as the animation is top notch and looks even better in HD. 

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