Krill Or Be Krilled

Happy Feet Two is a bloody mess with some aspects working well while others just end up annoying (although not the stuff you might think). The singing and dancing tribe of penguins are nowhere as irritating as you might think with some songs (Queen’s Under Pressure) being particularly well arranged being powerful and uplifting as a result. As with the first film there’s a clever mixing of live action and animation while the dark, underlying themes commenting on climate change, man’s attitude towards wildlife and even the harmful, corrupting nature of religion are welcoming to be sure. Story wise the stakes are much higher and it’s a sequel which allows secondary characters to step forward and shine whilst also being a visual feast for the eyes.

Unfortunately Mad Max director George Miller doesn’t know when to calm the fuck down and the film often feels chaotic with Miller’s restless swooping camera frequently pissing the audience off. The film does work in the quieter moments and when the story takes a grip but it’s too infrequent for the film to gel. Happy Feet Two is notable for the humorous subplot involving Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as two curious and adventurous Krill (yes Krill, I freaking kid you not) which ultimately impacts on the story in a meaningful and significant way. If only the whole film had followed their adventures.