Overcrowded ‘Happy Feet Two’ Missteps

The fact that humans can be terribly destructive creatures is inescapable. The proof can be found as much in today’s headlines as in the pages of history. But one would think that a children’s film as seemingly innocent and carefree as “Happy Feet Two” would provide an escape from the harsher world we inhabit. Unfortunately, this is not such a movie. Ostensibly a story about penguins, “Happy Feet Two” is rife with reminders that we humans kill off cute and musically talented sea creatures on a regular basis. We created the global warming that is melting the ice caps; we’ve spilled millions of gallons of oil into the ocean and smothered countless underwater residents; and we’re also the ones who throw those plastic soda rings into the sea that strangle poor fish and birds. But while such a critique might be valuable in a documentary context, it proves an off-putting distraction in what should have been a happy-go-lucky kids’ movie. For all its colorful imagery and impressive use of 3D, “Happy Feet Two” is stuffed with too many storylines, themes, characters, and cringe-worthy songs.

“Happy Feet Two” rejoins the protagonist of its predecessor, Mumble the penguin (voiced by Elijah Wood), who is now a father. His son Erik (Ava Acres) has a problem: he is too timid to join the rest of the penguin colony in their colorful musical dance numbers. But this story is soon overshadowed when the colony is trapped by colliding glaciers, and Mumble, along with Erik and other young penguins, must somehow save it. The posse of penguins enlists the aid of magnificent flying penguin Sven (Hank Azaria) and embarks on a journey to save Emperorland. Along the way, they run into an aggressive elephant seal, sing a few songs, and put up with the antics of the lustful penguin Ramon (Robin Williams).

Alas, this animated sequel is neither as cute nor unaffected as the original. It seems as though the writers of “Happy Feet Two” had too many ideas and attempted to cram them all into a single script, rather than prune the possibilities into a clearer and more focused plot. In particular, there is the overblown cultural critique of human interaction with the penguins—ice caps fall into the ocean due to man’s dependence on fossil fuels, birds nearly perish in a suffocating oil spill, and so on. This portrayal of humans as alien interlopers on idyllic penguin society seems diverting and superfluous at best, and gratuitously political at worst.

Beyond its muddled moralizing, “Happy Feet Two” is hampered by a completely separate storyline that follows the existential crisis of a krill named Will (Brad Pitt), who attempts to defy nature by turning himself into a carnivore. He is coupled with the creatively named Bill the Krill (Matt Damon), who questions Will’s choice to break away from the krill colony. This plotline is completely unnecessary, and seems to exist purely so that the producers can include more A-list celebrities in the film, albeit as utterly extraneous characters.

Not only does the film have too many outlying characters and plotlines, its central location—the penguin colony itself—also has far too much going on. First, there’s the wondrous flying penguin who inspires young Erik to believe he could fly. Then there’s the tragedy that traps the penguin colony. There’s even another segment—a quite macabre one at that—in which an elephant seal practically falls to his death in front of his children. This stacking of storylines makes the film feel off-kilter and clumsy, and its scene changes seem random and uncoordinated.

Amidst this cinematic cacophony, the charm and memorable personalities that should be the stock and trade of any animated children’s movie are completely lost. For one thing, there is just no time for character development. Erik, the supposed new hero of the franchise and an uber-cute baby penguin, is barely introduced, and no connection is established between him and his father, or between him and the audience. His antics are largely forgettable—never a good sign for a protagonist—just like so many other characters in the movie.

The music, an aspect of the movie that had the potential to redeem and distinguish it from other similar flicks, is another disappointment. The dance numbers are tired parodies of outdated songs, like Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” awkwardly redone as “I’m Bringin’ Fluffy Back,” complete with a cluster of strangely gyrating young penguins.

Ultimately, “Happy Feet Two” lacks a crucial element of a quality children’s movie: balance. It tries to do too much and so ends up accomplishing little. The presence of too many personalities results in a film with little personality. For all its 3D glitz and celebrity vocal talent, “Happy Feet Two” simply lacks the lighthearted fun that made its predecessor and its adorable foot-tapping penguins such a success.