What is it with penguins? They seem to have become magnets for messages that either some ideological group wants to assign to them, or in the case of Happy Feet, comes from the filmmakers themselves. Reviewers of the CGI film are scratching their heads at the way the film spends its third act switching from a charming story of a young penguin who can’t sing like his fellow flightless birds but can dance like crazy and must learn to be himself, to a jarring eco-sermon. Even the critic for the left-leaning Village Voice was shocked with the story’s sudden swerve, commenting that
even the wee ones may start to notice something’s amiss when the movie’s theme goes from “be yourself” to “we must regulate the overfishing of the Antarctic oceans.” No, for real.
Last time penguin became a proxy for pressure group preaching, it was conservatives coopting March of the Penguins. And now I’ve gotten wind that the new Simpsons movie will feature a save-the-environment theme. Say it ain’t so, Homer! Is it not enough that you filmmakers get to entertain us for an afternoon, do you want us to pay you to deliver eco-conscious sermons? Here’s hoping the makers of the next CGI-animated penguin movie, next summer’s Surfs Up‘ feel content just to stick to a great story about cool dude penguins who can hang ten without decrying the long-term damage to the environment caused by the use of sun screen..
Yeah. I kinda felt that way too. It made the movie…awkward.
I was sitting there going “Wait…. this just doesn’t fit. Where’s the part where the dancing penguin tells everyone that just because he’s different doesn’t mean he’s any less of a penguin? Where’d all the happy go?”
I had a long chat about this one with my uncle (A casting director in L.A.) and we both agreed on three things. The animation was fantastic. They could have picked better songs (Prince? Madonna? What, were all the writers 80s children?) And the ending, while cute to any little kid, and slightly entertainingly touchy-feely, just didn’t work.
I love penguins. Don’t get me wrong. These little guys got a lotta spunk. And March of the Penguins proved that. In my opinion it also proved that only an Intelligent Designer could have equipped these guys to survive in Antarctica.
But, to be honest, they’re playing this penguin thing to death. It’s like goth. Goth was cool because there were few people who were really into it. They were unique. Now, we have Hot Topic, and every kid and his brother is on the got scene. And it’s ticking true goths off. (I know, it doesn’t make sense unless you actually know a true goth. But bear with me.)
Same with penguins. We were a select few. “Those weirdos who like to waddle.” Now, everyones into penguins. It’s being done to death. We have to find something new now. Thanks Hollywood. For everything.
Comment by Ashley — November 28, 2006 @ 6:38 pm |