The Bizarre Origin Story of HAPPY FEET

[@ToonrificTariq]

I DONT WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT PENGUINS😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[@ExplosivefartAAAAAA]

Free the penguins

[@vanburnjackson]

Ye

[@vanburnjackson]

Ye

[@Vailskibum]

So many 2000s animated movies dive far deeper into Uncanny Valley than I remember as a kid💀

[@Princess_-gp3ep]

And most of them star talking animals voiced by celebrities.

[@agentepolaris4914]

Aw come on, don't tell me you think this is scary

[@celebrityguest.9530]

rewatching this movie as an adult was such a surreal experience. the whole religion thing with the emperor penguins was so, so interesting and i think the space intro makes a lot more sense with the context of the alien thing they were gonna do. though i can't like ignore some of the flaws i gotta say, out of all movies i watched as a kid and can look back at, this is absolutely the most haunting both to watch and look back at. like yeah it has its fun bits but this movie went way further into trying to convey a real message than i'd ever seen before, and i think they really benefited from the style of animation they had going especially around the middle where mumble and the amigos are huddling while trying to walk through a violent blizzard, or when mumble dives from that glacier and tries to chase after that massive fishing boat. it's jaw dropping to see even now

[@Arosukir6]

Thank you! It's good to know someone else saw the religion vs science/aliens thing as well. I love the message of this first movie, and the second one as well! Happy Feet 2 is about the need for international (and interspecies) cooperation in order for all of us to survive.

[@toon4thought]

That sounds like a VERY fascinating production history. Hopefully someday we'll get the full story.

[@offbeatkiki]

I'm dyinggggg for that article with all the art and references!

[@RyansChannel0203]

Happy Feet, despite the animation being very different and uncanny, still holds up a lot IMO. Love the epic and insane story, the characters are either memorable, likable, or well fleshed out, the voice acting is great (Robin Williams especially, RIP), the songs are excellent, the animation is drop dead gorgeous and cinematic, and Mumble is such an empathetic protagonist who’s so relatable in ways that make him easy to connect to. And how he becomes a hero by saving the penguins at the end of the film will never not be emotionally satisfying.

[@IronBundleTrainerLiam]

The only uncanny animation I can agree with ya on is the humans a bit, but it was from 2006 so it's kinda expected that some stuff like hasn't aged as well. But other than that, yeah man! I still love the heck out of this film. 👍🏻

[@superhedgehog6447]

@@IronBundleTrainerLiam Looks like the humans are actually real not cgi. Especially the zoo scene the humans look too real to be cgi.

[@IronBundleTrainerLiam]

@@superhedgehog6447 Huh... That's actually impressive for a film from 2006! 👀

[@superhedgehog6447]

@@IronBundleTrainerLiam Yeah, I don't know how they do it. That's great filmmaking behind the scenes.

[@IronBundleTrainerLiam]

@@superhedgehog6447 And another reason why I love this film! 🥰

[@Arosukir6]

I think I'm glad Happy Feet turned out the way it did. I remember watching and thinking that the story (as presented in its final version) was an allegory for Science/Curiosity/Acceptance versus Religion/Dogma/Outcasting. The old timers worship The Great Gwin (Gwen?), and have strict rules that all penguins must follow about the proper ways of singing, mating, praying, etc. Anyone outside of that structure (the dancing, non-singing Mumble and to a lesser extent his dancing-and-singing father Memphis) is considered wrong or heretical, and superstition allows the leaders to blame the main outlier, Mumble, and his evil dancing influence on his peers for the calamity that's happening: the lack of fish to eat. But after talking with Lovelace, Mumble decides to search for what's *really* making the fish disappear. He comes to learn about the "aliens" (in this case humans) who are actually responsible for what's been going on. In doing so he both saves his fellow penguins from starvation and is also accepted for his differences. I wonder if that was on purpose? It seems like the religion vs science thing would've been the intention with the image of the penguin "god" turning out to be aliens. But since SETI isn't something scientifically confirmed yet, it likely would've felt like supplanting one unprovable belief with another. Just my theory on how the changes evolved for Miller. People told me I was crazy when I talked about the religion vs science thing at the time, but I'm glad Kiki noticed it! Either way, I'm happy with the film we got!

[@melvisgreymystery1433]

As someone on the autistic spectrum who had a special interest in penguins, I think I might be the one penguin enthusiast you are looking for ! The huddling is called social thermoregulation and it is present in many species, not just spheniscidae. I can't say anything about their emotions, but it is a complicated survival tactic that is necessary for those who live in extreme temperatures. They do rotate and it has been observed that it keeps them warm to the point that penguins have to eat snow after a huddle is broken ! So it's safe to say they are nice and roasty, toasty. Penguins are playful as well, and see humans as approachable, so I like to think they experience joy despite their harsh environments

[@melvisgreymystery1433]

Speaking of the autism spectrum, I've always loved Mumble because of the neurodivergent coding. It resonated heavily with me as a child and I never truly understood why until I sought out diagnosis. His mannerisms, the happy stimming, the treatment he receives from his peers, his drive to get that stupid fish, the connection with a group different to the one he had for his upbringing- it all reads very autistic for me. The "don't ask me to change, pa, because I can't" interaction never fails to make me emotional. This movie means so much to me and I'm so glad I latched onto penguins and animation enough to see this film.

[@pingu3245]

another penguin enthusiast????

[@jam-vg3dd]

Penguin autism lets gooo 🐧🐧🐧

[@smallgothclifford]

Hispanic (Salvadorean) viewer here! yeah, I lowkey expected more outlash for the stereotypes the amingos portrayed but I personally think it was just a product of it's time. I personally don't think it's offensive and even found them entertaining in the movie. It was also nice that all they pretty much did was goof around with Mumble and were his few real friends. But yeah, nice review! Glad to see Happy Feet is being talked about more! Love this movie :)

[@WafflesX3XD]

believe it or not, this movie is still talked about here in australia??? i’m an animation student, so when it comes to discussing our industry, there’s a 90% chance happy feet will come up in conversation and/or lessons. we uh,,, don’t have much going on i guess -_-‘

[@casir.7407]

dude, for it being the best known example of australian animation, its kind of awesome!!

[@frailvoid5844]

I was obsessed with that bit of him dancing to Stevie Wonder as a kid like just completely but blissfully flabbergasted when I saw that initial trailer for the film and the theater also played a trailer for the Simpsons movie at the time which was dope

[@demondton96]

Seeing those tv ads again with the "Novemburrr" tagline gave me the weirdest jolt of nostalgia I've had in a while

[@corduroycrook]

It's funny how prominent this movie is in my memory of animated feature films vs how jumbled my memory of the actual story beats are. And that alien subplot seems like such an odd choice but the way that manifested as the humans destroying the environment subplot is genius considering its inception. Also i appreciate how ambitious they were with the shots. I really need to rewatch this.

[@mathieuleader8601]

The purple frosted backdrop you used really sets the mood

[@jordansantos7226]

I still think the animation looks beautiful. Yes, I will say that there are some shots that look a little dated but it still holds up with great voice acting, a kick ass soundtrack and a very important environmental message that’s just as important now than back then

[@IronBundleTrainerLiam]

This is still one of my all time favorite childhood movies. And it's all thanks to the wonderful voice work from people like Elijah Wood and Robin Williams, a great and compelling story, a really well done romance between Mumble & Gloria, and fantastic songs like Boogie Wonderland, Somebody to Love, etc. This film made me a big fan of Emperor Penguins, and I'll always treasure this film very closely in my heart. ☺️

[@paulgaston]

I'm biased because this is my favorite movie but you may have just made my favorite KZbin video, ever. More Happy Feet things I didn't know please 😭

[@TheRandomPosterTRP]

4:57 - Funny you mentioned his original design. When I was younger, I read a graphic novel adaptation that featured the design where he completely molted. I looked it up and there are some promotional mataerials that use the completely molted design.

[@mathieuleader8601]

*I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT PENGUINS!*

[@Cdr2002]

17:58 it’s almost like characters splitting up and rejoining in animated movies is commonly super forced Great video!

[@giangeegibb]

It's honestly kind of wild how well this movie holds up, especially with the animation. Obviously it's not perfect, but I think the characters are really well designed based on this more true-to-life look; they are really realistic but also able to emote really well. They somehow found the perfect balance between these two things in 2006 that The Lion King remake which came out more than a decade later couldn't do. Fantastic video as always! Look forward to everything you put out, and excited to see what comes next!

[@hurricanelem]

it's funny that the amigos get mentioned as robin william's problematic role but not him being lovelace, the penguin who's a clear play on a black preacher

[@offbeatkiki]

You're right, I should have said something about that. They put him in two roles he shouldn't have played, or they should have characterized those roles differently. I'm always trying to be better at these essays with every video and actively working to understand intersectional topics like race and gender better.

[@judgmental-badger-face]

This movie holds such a special place in my heart after the many rewatches I sang and danced along to as a kid. It shaped a lot of my music taste and I even bought a baby Mumble plush off ebay years ago that I still treasure.

[@snbsixteen6stars201]

I was obsessed with this movie back when i was a teen, i also had the Nintendo ds game (That's interesting, that finally answered a long burning question i had about this movie on why the movie starts with that strangely forboding shot in space, am kinda glad that they did not do the alien ship ending

[@misterdj6671]

This movie felt like the world's greatest fever dream i was in the mindset of "it's nature" so much that I didn't realize how messed up it gets Mumble almost dies at least twice

[@jjstarA113]

The leopard seal had the most satanic jump scare in a movie intended for kids

[@roderick8167]

This movie is so nostalgic for me as a 12 year old when this movie came out I used to tap dance along with Mumble while watching this movie even though I couldn't dance worth a damn and still can't 😂, oh man good times Lol

[@holad-jlsegovia-423]

As a latino, I'm yet to find people in Latin America that are offended by these kinds of sterotypes, characters like the Amigos and Speedy Gonzales for example are seen as iconic around here and they are beloved. While outside they are seen as problematic stereotypes, it's interesting

[@alwayssleepy2476]

Huh new upload, nice.

[@casir.7407]

this movie, along with shark tale to a lesser degree, sort of shaped my music tastes?? what i remember most about happy feet next to the great music was the sense of *awe* it had. thats one of the reasons i personally wish there were more movies set in antarctica: there is such an amazing and sublime feeling in watching these huge blocks of ice, the colors shifting with the day, the immense landscapes... i also remembered that moment of mumble in the water, looking down at the dark depths. the brief moment in which mumble and the amigos are escaping and sliding down and escaping an avalanche was also absolutely impressive to little me. id also like to add, as an argentinean (most southern country along australia, i guess?) and having the luck to have visited parts of the country where penguins come to mate and spend the warmer seasons, at least in the spanish dub, as a kid, there wasnt anything i felt particularly "offended" by? its not like arthur christmas where they confuse trelew with mexico. i agree that theres a general feel of stereotyping with these characters (makes me think a lot of the three caballeros from disney tbh) and a lack of cultural specificity (just "latine", as an overgeneralization). but, as with a good deal of more or less harmless sort of cliches, i feel like it varies from person to person and that it depends on where the audience lives and whether theyre seen as a minority in their country of residence. i do remember the amigos having a distinct accent even in the latinamerican spanish dub, which made it clear they were different from the emperor penguin waddle. voice acting and translation stuff, i guess. (also, i remember having such a crush on brittany murphys penguin bc of her voice 😂 so the queer reading feels just about right) thanks for making this video! the movie is definitely a product of its time, but what i remember i recall fondly.

[@dreamythesheep]

To your confusion about the incongruent game plot, it seemed there was a break down of communication for a lot of extra material like books and games somewhere along the pipeline. For example, there’s a picture book that uses screenshots from the movie and everything is the same except once we get to the scene in the enclosure Mumble’s model is his original planned adult model rather than the final one we get in the film. It stays that way for the rest of the book. If things were really changed so close to completion then I wouldn’t be shocked if someone forgot to update the studio developing the game or the people in charge or putting together the picture book.

[@condeallamistakeo]

I'm from Chile and loved the latino penguins, they sounded like puerto rican dudes, but glad to see some representation here, the forbidden shore with the abandoned whaling company actually exists in real life and it's on Pendulum Bay, Deception Island on the chilean antarctic territory

[@NifftyMoment]

God I forgot how freaky this movie was

[@Zeder95]

I think Mumble is more of a metaphor for asperger autism. I have a light form of asperger autism and really could relate to him as a child, I loved this movie because of the whole plot of Mumble being different from the others and looking for acceptance. Mumble finding friends outside his own group in a different penguin species (could be seen as representing people of a different culture) also felt relatable.

[@offbeatkiki]

I could totally see that as well, I'm neurodivergent myself and deeply related to him as a young person!

[@dablloydtruther]

aspergers is a anti semetic term btw!

[@Eternalsunshinejewelry]

it's scary how accurate they got the penguins movements to real life penguins

[@Arina-me8wg]

Really good review! But I find it upsetting that people never actually talk about how this movie is impressive in its emotional pressure. I basically have seen this film in a very young age, and even then I appreciated how loneliness, sadness, love, determination and fear was nicely implicated in this story. Especially I love this feeling of connection to the world that gives off the narrative of film, how it starts from the cosmos, how the loneliness becomes rather a freedome and pride (when the Mumble dances alone while his parents at work). Oh, and the best scene for me is when Mumble jumps off the edge to follow the ship - the shots of him falling down are gorgeous, its just looks like he's flying...

[@lanathejackman3336]

Leader of the pack always hit for me

[@awesomeocelot7475]

You should do a video about the sequel.

[@PuppetPal_Clem]

great video as always, I was a big hater of this movie as a kid but have come around on it the last few years

[@heyitsnovaa]

Happy Feet, flaws and all, is a movie I think about and enjoy. Great job on the video

[@FriendlyNeighborhoodGeek99]

Loved this movie, havent seen it in a very long time lol never saw the sequal tho great video 💕

[@icecreamhero2375]

People hate Happy Feet? I always loved that movie.

[@PussInBootsTheLastWishFan2003]

I didn’t know people hated this movie.

[@SergeyPupkoMusic]

It has been way too long since I've seen this one. And, for a while, I couldn't put a finger on what it reminded me of, then I remembered about Legend of the Guardians and that's when it hit me... The way they used the beak to animate talking about emotions is very similar to how it was in the Owl movie... And, now that I've seen a few clips from it, it's like the two films were produced side-by-side... Except Legend of the Guardians delved even deeper into the visuals and making them stunning and almost too realisitc.

[@huntercouch1561]

3:17 not to mention the regret in Memphis’s eyes after treating his own son like that….you can tell that he regretted his actions.

[@9aracna.]

Right, I was going to watch this yesterday, but forgot

[@snbsixteen6stars201]

I never really saw this as a Christmas movie funny enough, i saw this as a summer movie Mabey its the surf music when the pinguïns go out togther that brings thoughts of summer and spring break

[@awesomeocelot7475]

Ramon was voiced by Robin Willimas?!

[@CuttinUpGetGapped]

Suppressed I would guess. This isn't a bad video. ❤️

[@Princess_-gp3ep]

I remember watching this movie in theaters when I was young.

[@9aracna.]

Unfortunately, the DDR parts in the Happy Feet game (at least on PS2) is mind numbingly easy, despite it being the only part of the game that has a difficulty setting. The Shark Tale game did it better

[@coolguy7384]

happy feet, the planet of the apes, and family feud were the three pieces of media that gave me nightmares.

[@mathieuleader8601]

ooh the original Happy Feet feels like Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[@juandiegotorres9632]

Most Hispanics don't care about satirical depictions of our cultures. We generally have a strong sense of humor and are capable of laughing at our eccentricities and quirks.

[@PrimeParadiso]

Man I love all of George Miller's work He released Three Thousand Years of Longing this year which I also think you'd really enjoy! :)

[@offbeatkiki]

I've been meaning to watch that one, it looks really good!

[@PrimeParadiso]

@@offbeatkiki It had a lot of heart and there were points where I was getting choked up, it's the perfect movie for anyone who feels like one of the loneliest people on Earth - and it reflects the importance of storytelling in the way the GoT finale really wished it could 😂

[@zerrierslizer1]

this movie confused me as a kid. and it still does to this day lol.

[@Tinybeequeen]

This movie gave me nightmares 😅 probably didn’t help that my first watch of it was when I had a ridiculously high fever.

[@brendav8973]

I remember watching this when I was younger and the ending for some reason made me think this was based on a true story of a penguin 😭

[@djpon7969]

Happy Feet have good animation that look like a penguin that so cool, good story and good song but the big part being pretty scary with the mean bird, leopard seal and killer whale that scary me as The pebbles and the penguins.

[@djpon7969]

Happy feet is more scary then The pebble and the penguins because it more realistic.

[@luckyluc009]

Happy Feet > Surf’s Up

[@AllsWellInHell]

I gotta say - Robin Williams was an amazing actor but he does suffer from being a product of the eras he existed within, a lot of his roles have aged so poorly or just like the movies themselves are awful with him being the only proving factor

[@rocketsrequiem]

Not even the best animated penguin movie Surfs up betta

[@9aracna.]

Meow

[@Truekingr6]

As a Mexican I approve of robin Williams accent

[@nancydrew1882]

It’s hilarious! I don’t why people keep getting outraged for people of colour. There was nothing insulting about the character’s’ portrayal.

[@Tomagotchiify]

It’s about time

[@offbeatkiki]

believe me, i really missed posting!