Strollerderby

Happy Feet: Who Knew it Was About the Environment?

happy feetMy daughter has been Happy Feet-crazy ever since she watched it in my mom's hotel room a couple of weeks ago when she was visiting. For two weeks it's been Happy Feet this, penguins that... "Look how I can dance like a Macaroni Penguin..." We've been in a Cars-induced fog for the past six months so I had no clue what Happy Feet was about.

The movie was released on DVD this week and I pre-ordered a copy which arrived yesterday. We sat down to watch it and I was all prepared for it to be some lame cartoon about dancing and singing animals and...okay it was, but it also has a very overt environmental message. So much so that it's been called an animated version of An Inconvenient Truth.

My first clue was the Seafood Watch pocket card that fell out of the DVD case, a masterful piece of co-marketing if I do say so myself. Then as you watch the film the singing and tap-dancing take a backseat to the real message of the movie which is that by being true to yourself you can make all the difference in the world stop stuffing your pie hole with Chilean Sea Bass. (Or, as my daughter puts it, "If we stopped fishing then the penguins would have something to eat.")

P.S. You really haven't lived until you hear Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman's rendition of Prince's "Kiss" in the opening montage.

 


+ DIGG + STUMBLE

Comments

 

Grammy said:

I went to IMAX with a group of teacher friends to see it a few weeks ago.  I was surprised and pleased to see that it had a political message.  It reminded me of Fern Gully!  I think all my students should see it.  We are studying the environment and ecology right now.  It may be unethical to "preach" to the kids but someone needs to make them aware of the world around them.  They are the future and need to know how to care for our world.  WE NEED TO BE THE ONES SHOWING THEM. Sorry, I got carried away.

March 30, 2007 11:09 AM
 

Michelle said:

Looks like a really cute movie, I have yet to see it (but my roommate is a kindergarten teacher and I'm sure she will have it in her collection), but after looking at that goofy Seafood Watch card, nobody is going to tell me not to eat scallops!  Maybe we can start eating penguins and then there would be more fish??  Just an idea (which I'm sure not a lot of people will go for, but i was kidding anyway!) ^_~

March 30, 2007 11:33 AM
 

crunchy said:

My son loved it and yeah... i was amazed at how BIG the environmental message was...all the evils of humans..

Baaaad humans

Gooood penguins

March 30, 2007 12:42 PM
 

abstractfigure said:

I watched it with my class today.

I LOVED the "environmental message" but was less excited about the rest of the movie. I felt like I was watching American Idol and/or Dancing With the Stars, except with digitized penguins.

It didn't seem on par with Toy Story, Finding Nemo, the Wallace & Gromit movies, (or even Ice Age) or any of the other "entertaining for kids but smart and funny enough for adults" children's movies of late .

I also found myself wondering why it was necessary to re-make March of the Penguins...except with singing and dancing!

The kids loved it, though they even admitted it wasn't particularly funny...if you're are a parent I wouldn't get your hopes up...unless you actually like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars...in which case you may LOVE it.

March 30, 2007 5:22 PM
 

rosebengal said:

As a died in the wool environmentalist and a marine biologist with a fisheries background I really wanted to like this movie but instead the environmental message bugged the beezesus out of me. I am glad to hear that many people are responding well to it but it was so factually challenged that it rubbed me the wrong way. In addition, the take home message I got was that if all endangered species could just learn to entertain the humans all would be saved... I am happy that they are partnering with the Seafood Watch folks who are doing a great job!

March 30, 2007 5:57 PM
 

Kristina said:

Have yet to see the flick but I'm sure the kids will require it of me soon.

My republican friend said that Happy Feet seemed like a 2-hour pro-gay commercial.  When I scrunched up my face in confusion, she said, "You know, the whole 'Dad, just accept me for who I am' thing."

Believe it or not, my friend is not a homophobe and does have some endearing qualities...

March 30, 2007 7:31 PM
 

Serena Federman said:

I'm the Outreach Specialist for the Seafood Watch program. I just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for the post. We're very excited Warner Bros approached us to work with them on this project, knowing how many people it could potentially reach and what a difference it will make for ocean awareness. For those who want to get more involved, visit our website to learn more about how you can help us spread the word www.seafoodwatch.org

April 10, 2007 2:28 PM

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