happy feet

[Marvels]

Bma:

My, my, silly little rabbit doesn't have a sense of humor.

All right, let's go literal. The dancing wasn't stellar, but it wasn't bad either. Of course, you should see the live motion to realize how well it translated onto the screen considering they transformed a world-class tap-dancer into a legless, flightless bird. The singing on the other hand, was quite good, though it would seem to me that you aren't judging them by the quality of their vocals, but rather, by their content.

Next point. Gyrating. Well, do you see any genitals on these things? Any breasts on the women or penises on the men that would make it distinctly sexual? Now humor me, how else would you wish them to be animated in a movie where the entire theme revolves on dance? Stand still and wave their flippers up and down? Look at each other conservatively while they sing songs about dancing? Or maybe perhaps you're just always thinking about sex.

No, no, how rude of me. Let's go aesthetic. On the parts of the movie where the female penguin sings (and indeed, shows attitude), the camera shots almost always tend to focus on her neck and flippers, not on her body. Wide shots where the entire body is caught in the meanwhile, almost always display the penguin in complete symmetry (i.e., raising the right arm whilst putting up the left leg, and vice-versa), creating a much more artistic perspective, giving said shots the look and feel of a painting or a theater act.


And adult-themed songs, well it's funny that you mention it. You see, kids at their toddler years don't understand more than their basic share of Barney songs. They need rythm and a dancing dinasour to get a handle on what's going on. Adolescents, well, that is a different matter, but their minds (as well as a lot of adults) tend to recognize visuals before any other medium when bombarded by them all at once. These visuals must either be extremely elaborate, or must show acts that seem "odd" to them (i.e. violence). You don't see kids "understanding" why the man he's watching just shot someone else, after all.

Now, should you mix these two - - visuals and audio - - you get an odd cocktail which most elder viewers enjoy for the content (seeing as they are more than capable enough of cohesing all that their sense pick up), while younger viewers enjoy for the eclectic mix that flies over their heads at 150 mph.

But you know what? You do have a point. In fact, you should completely and utterly tell everyone how bad the movie is. And praytell do not stop at the rabid, savagely sexual nature that these penguins possess, no! Ask why the filmmakers are decidedly anti-monotheistic! Surely the children will doubt God's existence after they watch Mumble pull one over the village clergy. And of course, they'll hate humanity as well, after being so cleverly exposed to the brutality of man's nature. Oh, and complain about how Latin and Mexican people are portrayed as overly materialistic, backward, sexual advocates of false idolatry. That'll get you an award.

Okay, sorry. Sarcasm is always in bad taste, my apologies.

Oh, and my sense of morality is just fine. A kid dumb enough to rape his girlfriend after watching penguins sing and dance should die.

Of course, I could go on, but I suspect you already made up your mind that this movie is vile filth and must be destroyed. No matter.

Cheers.

 

[bma1983]

Bma:

My, my, silly little rabbit doesn't have a sense of humor.

All right, let's go literal. The dancing wasn't stellar, but it wasn't bad either. Of course, you should see the live motion to realize how well it translated onto the screen considering they transformed a world-class tap-dancer into a legless, flightless bird. The singing on the other hand, was quite good, though it would seem to me that you aren't judging them by the quality of their vocals, but rather, by their content.

Next point. Gyrating. Well, do you see any genitals on these things? Any breasts on the women or penises on the men that would make it distinctly sexual? Now humor me, how else would you wish them to be animated in a movie where the entire theme revolves on dance? Stand still and wave their flippers up and down? Look at each other conservatively while they sing songs about dancing? Or maybe perhaps you're just always thinking about sex.

No, no, how rude of me. Let's go aesthetic. On the parts of the movie where the female penguin sings (and indeed, shows attitude), the camera shots almost always tend to focus on her neck and flippers, not on her body. Wide shots where the entire body is caught in the meanwhile, almost always display the penguin in complete symmetry (i.e., raising the right arm whilst putting up the left leg, and vice-versa), creating a much more artistic perspective, giving said shots the look and feel of a painting or a theater act.


And adult-themed songs, well it's funny that you mention it. You see, kids at their toddler years don't understand more than their basic share of Barney songs. They need rythm and a dancing dinasour to get a handle on what's going on. Adolescents, well, that is a different matter, but their minds (as well as a lot of adults) tend to recognize visuals before any other medium when bombarded by them all at once. These visuals must either be extremely elaborate, or must show acts that seem "odd" to them (i.e. violence). You don't see kids "understanding" why the man he's watching just shot someone else, after all.

Now, should you mix these two - - visuals and audio - - you get an odd cocktail which most elder viewers enjoy for the content (seeing as they are more than capable enough of cohesing all that their sense pick up), while younger viewers enjoy for the eclectic mix that flies over their heads at 150 mph.

But you know what? You do have a point. In fact, you should completely and utterly tell everyone how bad the movie is. And praytell do not stop at the rabid, savagely sexual nature that these penguins possess, no! Ask why the filmmakers are decidedly anti-monotheistic! Surely the children will doubt God's existence after they watch Mumble pull one over the village clergy. And of course, they'll hate humanity as well, after being so cleverly exposed to the brutality of man's nature. Oh, and complain about how Latin and Mexican people are portrayed as overly materialistic, backward, sexual advocates of false idolatry. That'll get you an award.

Okay, sorry. Sarcasm is always in bad taste, my apologies.

Oh, and my sense of morality is just fine. A kid dumb enough to rape his girlfriend after watching penguins sing and dance should die.

Of course, I could go on, but I suspect you already made up your mind that this movie is vile filth and must be destroyed. No matter.

Cheers.

Your cockamamie B.S. is mind-boggling. Bust I must admit, it was a comical read. From reading your long sarcastic and condescending thesis I reached these conclusions:

1. From your reasoning for anything to be considered sexual it has to show genitalia. Clothed animals grinding against each other is perfectly ok. Also, naked animals grinding against each other is fine, as long as there is no resemblance of genitalia.

2. It would be ok for a character in a children’s movie to sing Old Dirty Bastard’s, “I Want Pussy,” or 2 Live Crew’s, “Me So Horny” as long as there is rhythm, and dancing for the toddlers, and some big grand theatrics for the adolescents.

Yeah, your sense of morality is right up there with Mary Poppins. I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought it was appropriate for kids to watch Gore Vidal’s Caligula. The rhythm may be lacking, but the dancing sure would catch a toddler’s eye. And the grand theatrics sure were a marvel, especially during the orgy scene, but I’m sure that adolescents wouldn’t notice.

I guess I should apologize for my sarcasm.........

Look, I never implied that this movie was “vile filth.” and that it “must be destroyed.” My point was that there were things in this movie that shouldn’t be in a kid’s movie. You may find it funny and suitable for Lovelace to imply "the F word" and then add "I shall retire to my couch of perpetual indulgence. OK ladies, who's first?"

I don’t.

 

[WillMc88]

I agree that there were parts where I thought 'I'm surprised this got a G rating >_>.' That's of course, only if it did get a G rating, I can't really remember =p.

Either way, I'm still surprised at SOME of the things that were presented. But I enjoyed it, it was painfully cute, and Mumble's courage throughout the movie was admirable. About the question regarding why he looked so different (as in, not fully matured) by the time his generation was fully grown... well... I had just assumed it had to do with the fact that his father had dropped him while he was still an egg. This was alluded to enough for me to pick up on it.

And, if you notice, he does continue to lose his down feathers as the movie goes on =].

Also, about the reason that the scientists let him go, and the ban on fishing in the region afterwards: From what I got, they let him go, assuming that he was part of a previously undiscovered subspecies of penguin that used dancing to communicate, or for whatever, and hoped he'd lead them to his clan (or whatever groups of penguins are called). After they found these interesting penguins, this brought a LOT of international attention to them, which in turn brought attention to the increasing decline of fish in the area due to over-fishing. Debates ensued, solutions suggested, and it was decided to ban, or severely limit the amount of fishing allowed in the Antarctic.

That's what I got, it wasn't completely explained in the movie.

 

[bma1983]

^Thanks WillMc88.

 

[bma1983]

I know. Some people have no lives.

 

[Michael Luc]

Totally adorable. Incredible animation.

 

[Marvels]

Bma:

Oh thank goodness I came across a person confident enough in himself to stand up for what he believes in.

Alright, let's get serious then.

1.) The animals were not grinding against each other, they were following a steady rythm. There was no other way for the motion animators to capture a "dance" other than to have the poor things curve themselves, as I have already pointed out. My mentioning of something being distinctly sexual means that there was nothing that really stood out - - well for me and the entire viewing room I was with at the very least - - which screamed suggestive. Of course, our views clearly differ on the subject, but I believe that the fact that there wasn't an occurrence where the camera was fixated on long, winding shots of a "gyrating penguin", then there really wasn't any underlying sensuality present. Sexuality yes, sensuality no.

More on that, the end of each "ritual", as it could be termed, would end with the symbol of the heart being in one way or the other presented. In this, the writers are pretty much freeing themselves of the notion that what the penguins are doing, as real life animals do, is simply for sex. Coupled with the fact that whereas every other image before the aforementioned "heart placement" is a tightly edited, fast moving train of penguin lore, the only time the audience - - children especially - - could then clearly get a handle on things is when it all ends, and yes, when the "heart placement" begins. So the lasting message is, discoutning anyone's vulnerability for the subliminal, that "love" is the grand motivator for everything that these creatures do. Which makes it very Disney.

2.) Actually, yes. I do say that that is the case. Unfortunately, you seem to be imposing special stipulations on the subject at hand. Related to your point on the third number, of course it would be irresponsible for anyone to have a child watch something which he or she would clearly not appreciate. Our minds and theirs, well, your mind and theirs, function much too differently. So whereas comments about sex may fly above a toddler's radar when he or she is fixated on dancing penguins, the same thing may not hold true if you let the kid watch an old, Greek orgy (or was it Roman? My bad, I never watched Caligula).

3.) I'd actually have the right mind to let kids watch Battle Royale. But I digress.

AM I a regular Mary Poppins? Well, I once almost submitted a term paper on how Nazi Germany is the ideal type of society for the Thirld World. So you be the judge.


P.S. I'm a media student. I find it quite necessary to train myself in defending film, and being critical of situations, as my thesis defens eis in the next two weeks. In other words: Yes, I do have a life.

 

[tyler1987]

this movie was soooooooooo cute!!!!! i went to go see it twice!!! hehe.......and brittney

murphy has such a beautiful voice!!!! i would highly reccommend this movie <3