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did "Happy Feet" disturb anyone else?

shecky

shecky

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Original poster
May 24, 2003
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Obviously you're not a golfer.
maybe its just me, (quite likely, actually,) but i just got "Happy Feet" off of netflix and i have to say, the movie just left me feeling really creepy and kind of uncomfortable. something about it left me with a really uneasy feeling; between the totally freakish and over the top sea lion, the cubby penguin choking to death on a six-pack holder for a quarter of the movie and the somehow weird deformed look of Mumble with his partial down coat still on really kinda wigged me out. granted, i do find penguins in general depressing as hell, but still.

someone tell me im not crazy :)
 
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FREAK! :eek:

Kidding, but I don't see why it would freak you out. That's my alltime favorite movie (I've watched 23 times :eek:) It's supposed to have an enviormental theme, as well as the usual "be yourself" theme.
 
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I watched it while riding on a coach bus from NYC back home to Ottawa.

I thought it was a cute movie, but it seemed ridiculously heavy-handed on the environmental issues (Cute penguin begging while in captivity, "Pleeeeease, why are you taking our fish? You're killing us!!!")

I also felt it seemed to reinforce class stereotypes -- notice how the main character, because of his social non-conformity, is banished from a predominantly "white" society -- I hear American, British and Scottish accents -- and instead finds his home among a group of penguins that sound suspiciously Mexican?

The other thing that I noticed was the whole scene where his parents were asking him if he couldn't just stop, and he defiantly says he can't change who he is. Do you suppose many a fundamentally religious family and pastor have had similar confrontations with their flamboyant son asking if he couldn't just please stop being gay (before ultimately disowning him)?
 
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Yeah I agree with bartelby the movie was just boring. I wouldn't say it was freaky or disturbing but really not something that interested me at all.

I understand the environmental and the "be yourself" themes that were the main point of the movie but I just didn't think they did a good job with it.
 
It may also be that you aren't really the 'target' audience of a kids movie. Which tends to be over the top and hit you over the head with a hammer in the stereotyping/ messages/merchandising department these days.:rolleyes:
 
jczubach said:
It may also be that you aren't really the 'target' audience of a kids movie. Which tends to be over the top and hit you over the head with a hammer in the stereotyping/ messages/merchandising department these days.:rolleyes:
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Well, I'm certainly not the target market, but I feel the mark of a really good children's film is one the adults can enjoy as well.

Examples of children's films I have seen that I still enjoy as an adult (or that I have seen as an adult):

- The Lion King
- The Incredibles
- Narnia
- The Iron Giant
- The Emperor's New Groove
- Bridge to Terabithia
- The Sandlot (original)

Examples of children's films that are clearly marketed at kids (e.g. I couldn't get over the bad acting, one-dimensional adult stereotypes, etc):

- 3 Ninjas
- Big Fat Liar
- Blank Check
- Catch That Kid
- Spy Kids
- Agent Cody Banks
- Hoot
- Jack Frost
- Small Soldiers
- anything with Spongebob Squarepants
 
Strange

I found the use of photorealistic animals disturbing. Just how expressive can a penguin be with it's tiny mouth/beak. Amazing animation but I was distracted by the realistic animals executing motion capture dance moves and singing a Moulin Rouge-like soundtrack.
 
notjustjay said:
I
I thought it was a cute movie, but it seemed ridiculously heavy-handed on the environmental issues (Cute penguin begging while in captivity, "Pleeeeease, why are you taking our fish? You're killing us!!!")

I also felt it seemed to reinforce class stereotypes -- notice how the main character, because of his social non-conformity, is banished from a predominantly "white" society -- I hear American, British and Scottish accents -- and instead finds his home among a group of penguins that sound suspiciously Mexican?
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%.

He was a gay black penguin living in a predominantly white society. Then he went to hang with the minorities because white society rejected him.

And the main penguin character looked creepy, and not cute at all.

And then there's the last 15 minutes or so, where the penguins are discovered, and they're all happy to be discovered and to be researched and probably put into a zoo later.

Overall, Happy Feet made me feel bad to be a human being, and the characters made me feel a bit weirded out.
 
that movie was bad. i know it was an animated film but it was a BAD animated film...
 
it sucked

Started out as a cute movie with a positive message about being true to one's self and ended up nauseatingly heavy handed.
 
I didn't like the movie.

I think penguins are OK but I much prefered them in "Batman Returns" when they had those cool rocket launchers on their backs. If they had those penguins in this movie it would have been much more watchable.
 
I couldn't believe how much it was hyped. I saw it in the theater and walked out after an hour. It was terrible. I have never walked out of a movie before.
 
shecky said:
maybe its just me, (quite likely, actually,) but i just got "Happy Feet" off of netflix and i have to say, the movie just left me feeling really creepy and kind of uncomfortable. something about it left me with a really uneasy feeling; between the totally freakish and over the top sea lion, the cubby penguin choking to death on a six-pack holder for a quarter of the movie and the somehow weird deformed look of Mumble with his partial down coat still on really kinda wigged me out. granted, i do find penguins in general depressing as hell, but still.

someone tell me im not crazy :)
Click to expand...
I made an account just to say this. I watched this as a youngster and it disturbed me. Not only the sea lions, the doll floating in the water, but I could hardly understand the penguins and they made me uncomfortable. I love animals, but these seemed a bit sexualized, or something. I’m not sure what it was but they made me uncomfortable. I rewatch it, and even now it freaks me out. I was growing up with PTSD and I’m sure that affected it, still though.
 
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