Reports from Sci Fi Wire are that George Miller has decided to do a sequel to his 2006 animated film Happy Feet. As if that weren’t stomach churning enough, Robin Williams has apparently agreed to reprise two of his voice roles from the first film. So off the heels of what many are calling one of his best performances in recent memory, in World’s Greatest Dad, Williams has decided to take a giant waddle backwards and once again dive into the world of singing, dancing penguins with absurd political agendas? Nice.
There is nothing wrong with Williams doing an animated film. Do not misinterpret me. His work in Disney’s Aladdin is still the archetype for incredible voice acting. And one only need watch Wall-E or UP or even Bolt (that’s right) to understand that animated films can really deliver fantastic, poignant moments that speak to children as well as the child inside us grownup, cynical bastards. But there is nothing poignant, smart, or entertaining about the incalculable swill of Happy Feet.
I am anxious to see which Twitter trending topic Happy Feet will use to construct its inevitable soap box. Will they dance to Darfur? Will they have a rousing musical chorus illustrating the responsibility of every American to buy smart cars? Or will Miller have the penguins waving flippers in our faces because we didn’t each take a more proactive role in ensuring free elections in Iran?
It isn’t inherently wrong for an animated film to have a message; again I would cite Wall-E as a wonderful example of balancing heart-warming, cutesy characters with a global conscience. But the problem I have with Happy Feet is that it tries to veil its message by having the first hour of the film be nothing but goofy-as-fuck dance numbers and dialogue that would exasperate a toddler. The film has an ego and it truly believes itself to be the prophet of environmentalism; taking up a charge that it feels no one else has. I fucking hate the entire farce that is Happy Feet and I get angry when I think all the people doing a lot more for the planet than making preachy propaganda disguised as a family film. Yeah, I’m sure it felt so globally-conscious to sit back and collect the box office grosses, you twats!
But yeah, Williams will be in it.
