Happy Feet Two Review

George Miller has a curious approach to children’s movies. He’s big on menace and unsettling imagery. Babe 2 was straight-up nightmarish and Happy Feet featured a bizarre period in which a penguin went mad in scenes reminiscent of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Happy Feet Two is still not light-hearted — there is the near-constant looming threat of being eaten or squashed — but above all else it’s dreary and aimless. It takes far too long to establish any kind of plot. Mumbles’ (Elijah Wood) son wanders off, but is quickly found; then an iceberg traps the singing penguin colony, which gives some much-needed focus. It’s a mess, and far too light on comedy. However, it does have the good sense to end on a rousing sing-song, and who doesn’t enjoy that?