Happy Feet is a clammy union between digital Hollywood nous and a cast of singing penguins. George Miller’s Antarctic animation is shamelessly modelled on last year’s fashion for these bizarre creatures who spend a preposterous amount of time waddling around the coldest corners of the planet.

There’s a blistering ecological sermon lurking under this musical version of March of the Penguins, but it’s stitched into a story that would make Walt Disney blush.

The grungy hero is a misfit called Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) who is tossed out of his emperor penguin community because he can’t sing a tuneful note to save his fins (emperor penguins are noted for their calls). He is adopted by a posse of dwarfish Adelie penguins who are amazed by his ability to dance. Their corny adventures are shuffled into a song-and-dance medley of vintage covers from Elvis to rap.

But starvation threatens this frozen paradise. The seas are overfished and Mumble decides to save his curmudgeonly brethren by trying to persuade the ruthless human aliens to leave the fish alone. His insane mission seems doomed. He is duly imprisoned in a zoo. But his uncanny tap-dancing skills melt powerful hearts.

This worthy melodrama would be an admirable family outing if the film wasn’t so preposterously naive. The animation is an artificial marvel. So is the sentiment.

JAMES CHRISTOPHER

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