Warren Coleman

This Disney/Pixar movie stirred up some controversy when it first came out because of its references to the effects of human behavior on the survival of one of the cutest animals in the world--penguins. This aspect of the film doesn't really come into play until the last third of the film; even then, the representation of the bureaucracy and capitalism surrounding environmental decisions is kept to a minimum, with the penguin cuteness factor playing a much larger role. Regardless, in this movie, Mumble, is a penguin who is born with the unfortunate inability to sing a heartsong, the song which draws lifelong mates to one another. Instead he is cursed with the embarrassing tendency to dance to express his emotions, a habit that forces him to the fringes of his tightly-knit group of penguins. To find himself, he leaves his penguin town, and makes friends with a different species of penguin, a lively Spanish-speaking bunch who love Mumble for who he is. Together they try to woo Mumble's childhood crush, the enchantingly-voiced Gloria, and also try to determine why all the fish (penguin food) are disappearing. Through it all, Mumble saves his species, learns to love himself--tap dancing feet and all--AND gets the girl in the end. The movie is punctuated with rousing renditions of popular classic soul, rock, and pop songs that are sure to suck kids into the movement and rhythm of the movie. The relationship between Mumble and his parents gets dragged on a little long, and the representation of Hispanic/Latino culture when Mumble first visits his new friends' town skirts stereotyping. But all in all, a nice, safe movie that opens the conversation about wildlife and how humans fit into the larger ecological picture.… (altro)