The Artist

As a rare (mostly) silent film, The Artist is forced to balance the norms of the almost extinct form with contemporary filmmaking. Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, a silent film star in the late 1920s. When talking pictures burst onto the scene, he encounters resistance to the old form and watches a young actress (Berenice Bejo) rise to prominence as he attempts to stay in the spotlight. Since the movie is a silent film about silent films, there is a layered sense that The Artist is proving the point that George is trying to make to those around him. Yes, silent films can be progressive and fresh. Maybe it just took us 80 years of movies with sound to realize it.

The use of over-the-top expressions by the actors can at first come across as campy, though once the film settles in, they are appropriate and necessary. In many aspects there are moments of feeling out the process, since the norm is so different from how things were in the late 20s. With that being said, modern filmmaking proves kind to this silent film, as is seen with sharp contrast in the black and white and the powerful lighting.

Taking out all of the specifics regarding sound and color, The Artist is an interesting story full of strong storytelling and quality characters. The film would likely appeal to moviegoers from any point in the last 80 years. The addition of a heroically loyal dog and dance numbers keep the mood balanced between high drama and comic airiness. This compromise is likely to please the dark minds of award show voters as well as the (usually) more fun-loving common folk. The Artist is a unique film experience. Following Hugo as a movie addressing the goings-on of film history, there is a case to revisit the silent form on occasion after the stunning success in this instance. (9.4 out of 10)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Giant 70’s glasses have never looked as cool as they do in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Taking place in the appropriate decade for those glasses, the story is about a retired British intelligence agent (Gary Oldman) who is hired to find a well-placed mole inside MI6. With an impressive collection of British actors starring in the film, there was little doubt about the integrity of the project and the quality of the script. In addition to Oldman’s strong showing, it’s hard to pick out which of the support was strongest. From Colin Firth and Toby Jones to Mark Strong, the star power is impressively balanced, with all characters developing well. Benedict Cumberbatch also deserves mentioning as his name is growing in popularity after a string of impressive roles.

Tinker has the strong sense of classic espionage thrillers. There is no need for fast-paced chase scenes because the tension is already there. All the characters have a seedy sense to them that gives credit to how authentic the film comes across. Even when Oldman’s character goes for the first twenty minutes or so without a line, there is a strong sense of personality and a look into how the job impacts people. Thumbing through files and research has never been so intriguing.

After being introduced by an extremely compelling trailer, there is a case of misleading identity with Tinker. This is not a James Bond film. It takes a while to understand the twists and turns, and there is even the potential that some will need a second viewing in order to be followed. But for those willing to put in the work, this view into realistic, character driven espionage is a rewarding experience. I will now come up with cool code names for all of my friends. But I’m thinking they’ll probably end up sounding more like Transformers than MI6 agents. (9.3 out of 10)

War Horse

Following a resilient horse and his journey from farm life in rural England to the trenches of World War I, War Horse is Stephen Spielberg’s entry into the award season shuffle. The horse called Joey experiences a number of episodes, which coincide with the difficulties of war. But even though the horse is the lead, he mainly acts as a marker to bring the audience to different sets of characters and different perspectives. It is a fairly ambitious idea that comes across as well developed and genuine at all times. Plus, who knew that a horse’s actions could provide so much emotion?

A long film, War Horse is a story that needs that time to build up the audience’s emotion. There are so many casualties in the film that this horse becomes as much of a morale boost to the viewer as he is for the characters he interacts with.  I have never seen a grown man weep openly in a movie theater like I did near the end of this film. No it wasn’t me, but I was choked up and everyone else likely was too.

This definitely has the feel of a depressing Oscar nominee, but the difference is that there is always a sense of hope hanging around War Horse. The visuals are stunning; culminating in Joey’s run through the barbed wire filled “no man’s land” with explosions as the backdrop. It could come across as cheesy and thinking back it may have been, but at the time it is quite powerful. War Horse is a dense movie-going experience that takes some real work from the viewer to commit emotionally to the characters and the historical context. But it proves to be worth it in the end. I’m curious as to how puppets can be as layered in the stage version. (9.5 out of 10)

We Bought A Zoo

I didn’t realize how awesome it would be to purchase a fully functioning zoo until I saw this film. Luckily for the animals that would be involved, I don’t have enough money. But Matt Damon’s character does as he moves his family to a house on a zoo’s grounds in order to get a fresh start after the death of his wife. With the help of the zookeeper played by Scarlett Johansson, he figures out that the zoo is very similar to dealing with the difficulties of real life. I was under the impression zookeepers could speak to animals, but apparently Kevin James’ film from the summer wasn’t entirely truthful.

Damon has become like George Clooney in that his mild mannered approach to acting makes it so most of his characters come off as the same. Since Zoo is a light-hearted family film, this is no problem. Maggie Jones who plays the young daughter of Damon’s character is more refreshing than the familiar faces of the leads. She is mostly comic relief, but pulls the film together from something that could very easily become a mope fest.

There is a strong sense that the “all is well” type ending may not be exactly how this whole series of events would end up. Nonetheless since there are those words before the credits describing where the real-life versions of the characters are now, I guess it is at least based on fact. The film is paced well, but a bit long by family film standards. I suppose some of the son’s scenes where he gets angry and draws creepy things could have been cut. Overall We Bought a Zoo is a fun movie for the holidays. I think there’s probably more poop scooping than was portrayed in the movie, as well. Minus one for lack of realism. (8.7 out of 10)

The Darkest Hour

Under the guise of a Christmas blockbuster, The Darkest Hour ends the year in alien encounter films on a low note. Starring Emile Hirsch and a cast of others who you would vaguely recognize from their other films, The Darkest Hour has a group of tourists in their early 20s encountering an alien race attacking Earth in order to drain our energy supply. The concept is interesting enough. The aliens can’t be seen and they disintegrate people in an instant. But it’s too much of a lost cause from the get go.

Having seen so many of these apocalypse type movies, there is a certain need for the actions of the earthlings to be genuine. Now if what seems to be 99 percent of the entire population were killed in an instant, I can’t believe this group of lucky survivors is only slightly upset about it. I’m all for keeping a level head but come on. Then on a performance level, the acting is adequate, but the dialogue is weak and the plot development predictable. When the group encounters the renegades wearing vests made of keys, and they gain the use of what can only be described as proton-pack from Ghostbusters, the predictable turns into the cheesy stuff of a straight to DVD release.

The has been a ridiculous amount of alien movies in 2011, and that may have something to do with the public’s total impatience toward a campy release like The Darkest Hour. Disaster movies are successful for a potential hope they provide when people fight back. But the world is dead in the first half hour. The half-hearted attempts at resolution in the final scene are only good for the audience to roll their eyes at. There are a handful of successful scenes scattered throughout, but the problem is that I knew they were coming before the happened. (5.5 out of 10)

Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol

I rarely run into people who consider themselves “fans” of the Mission Impossible films. Though there have only been a handful of action franchises that have been as successful as the Tom Cruise lead series. The fourth film in the sequence, Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol has Ethan Hunt (Cruise) emerging from a foreign prison just in time to be set up for a bombing at the Kremlin in Russia. His small team is all that’s left of the once expansive IMF and they are forced to clear their names by finding the true culprits.

The reach of this film is massive. After five years since Mission: Impossible 3, this fourth installment goes for it, pushing the limits of a film that looks like it cost significantly more than its $145 million budget. For example, instead of climbing any old building, Cruise scales the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building. Instead of driving any old sports car, the characters roll up to a party in a BMW i8 concept car, which looks more like a spaceship than something from a manufacturing plant on Earth. But don’t get me wrong, these moments don’t come across as overkill, just impressive.

Amid talk of whether or not Cruise is still able to handle the lead role in a blockbuster, he puts another feather in the cap of what has become one of his most iconic characters. So there is no question he deserves the hype his name brings to a project. He even outshines one of the biggest up and coming action stars in the business, Jeremy Renner. Now that the M: I series has been revived, it will be tough to outdo the scale of Ghost Protocol. But surely there is a way. Should I make a reference to it being impossible? I, unlike the film, am very predictable. (9.2 out of 10)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

After the critically acclaimed success of the director Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr.’s first take at the legendary detective, the quality of its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was almost a foregone conclusion. Though this take has a different focus, which deals heavily with Holmes’ arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris. The film begins with Holmes having connected the dots of many crimes to Moriarity. But in an attempt to get rid of the detective, Moriarty targets Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law, during his honeymoon. Then ensues a barrage of quarrels as the two try to mentally one-up each other in the wake of global war.

A Game of Shadows has a much bigger emphasis on explosions and chase scenes. Though that is common of sequels in popular franchises. Something to do with film executives opening their pockets a little more when there is promise of a return. While the explosions do get to be a much after awhile, there is an incredible chase scene that is likely the best shot bit of action in 2011. While attempting to escape Moriarty’s goons, Holmes, Watson and a group of ally gypsies dash away through the forest with bullets, cannon fire and enemies chasing them. It’s similar to that which appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. But it is by no means less effective since Warner Bros. has used this technique before.

Even dealing with critical and box-office disappointment, the Sherlock Holmes franchise should receive a third film because of the quality of character Robert Downey Jr. has built. The audience learns a bit more about what makes the legend tick in this second film. It may not be as fresh as the first, but people can’t fault Ritchie for being consistent with his over-the-top look at English street culture. And next time, don’t push the footage of Holmes dressed up as a woman in all the trailers. It just made the film look… elementary. (7.4 out of 10)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Based on the bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as a journalist attempting to find a long missing girl. After employing the help of a skilled computer hacker, played by Rooney Mara, the pair find themselves in danger, a sign the perpetrator is still close by. The much hyped and feared scenes establishing Mara’s character, Lisbeth, come off as gruesome and realistic as is acceptable in an R-rated film. Though in the midst of these vivid abuse scenes, the mystery of the missing girl from a family of former Nazis and creeps looms as a very intriguing case.

Running a bit long as to include as much of the source material as possible, the first half of the film drags in contrast to the riveting second half. Craig’s consistent performance is welcome because of the intensity Mara is forced to deal with. But she is of course the star of the film and the one whose performance is integral to the film’s success. Then there’s the post-production side of things where director David Fincher again reveals how he can even creep out an audience in a mere dialogue exchange. His new wing-man, Trent Reznor, who won an Oscar for his score from The Social Network, is possibly even better in this film. There is rarely a score more memorable.

Even with all the hype surrounding The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, its release in an oversaturated two weeks for the movie industry could cause it to suffer a bit. Though I think the graphic sexual abuse scenes will probably keep more people away. While The Social Network was too white collar for some and Fight Club too creepy for others, Fincher has blended his constant Oscar potential with his eye for recreating the undesirable dark side of human interaction. The help of great story doesn’t hurt the process either. (9.0 out of 10)

The Adventures of Tin Tin

The hype on The Adventures of Tin Tin is mainly to do with its celebrity director, (Steven Spielberg) producer, (Peter Jackson) and the fact the England seems to generally love the adventure-seeking cartoon. But since the character is so well known in international markets, there is a lack of introduction for us yanks who don’t know anything about it. The film follows Tin Tin (Jamie Bell,) a reporter, who pursues a mystery after buying a model ship containing a clue to hidden treasure. Along with his dog Snowy and the dim-witted drunk Captain Haddock, (Andy Serkis) Tin Tin uncovers the result of a legendary fight between pirates that brings them all around the world.

For the first twenty minutes or so, I was under the impression that the title character is a child. This really made for some odd situations in my mind, but once I figured it out that this guy is apparently an adult reporter, it made more sense. His veritable lack of a family or a paycheck is overlooked when he vanishes for weeks without a trace. But I guess since it started out with him trying to “get a news story,” nobody would come looking for him. None of this is essential to the plot, but the advertising making it seem like a true action adventure for kids and adults makes me ask questions that are overlooked by the lack of development in tune with children’s animation.

But before you write the film off, realize that The Adventures of Tin Tin is one of the most epic animated features I’ve ever seen. The motion capture animation succeeds where other films of this type have failed. The voice acting is outstanding, with Serkis being the best in the business. To approach the film as an animated film, it is exceptional. What’s the likelihood that US families will flock to this unknown family-friendly treasure hunter? Not great. (8.5 out of 10)

New Year's Eve

After the commercial success of Valentines Day, a similar holiday film makes sense. Starring more actors than I would care to list, the film tells a number of interweaving stories regarding New Year’s Eve in New York City. Now as far as fun romantic comedies go, this film has some flaws. First and foremost is the fact that at least half of the storylines are boring, shallow or just plain annoying. But with Christmas dominating most December holiday movies, focusing on the less important week after is a fun alternative.

So let’s take a look at what works for New Year’s Eve. With so many actors, there are a few who can seemingly make any script work and do well with underdeveloped mini-stories. Josh Duhamel’s expedition to try to get back in the city after a car accident works only because of his likeability. In contrast, Zac Effron’s attempt at giving Michelle Pfeiffer a memorable holiday tour through the city is the most entertaining and developed story. If more time was spent on them and less on the script dregs, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ashton Kutcher, the film would be much more fun. Katherine Heigl and Sofia Vergara also helm some fun moments.

As we’ve learned time and time again, star-power can very rarely carry a film single-handedly. If there were a tighter focus on some romantic-comedy regulars, the story would develop smoother. Fans of lighthearted films will probably laugh a few times and enjoy the resolutions (pun intended) at the end of the film. Unfortunately, there was very little attention spent to the quality of the overall story being delivered to theaters. And how did action star Til Schweiger and Jon Bon Jovi find themselves alongside teen heartthrobs? These are the questions that never get answered in New Year’s Eve. Also, why is Ashton Kutcher so unlikeable these days? (6.8 out of 10)

My Week With Marilyn

As far as Oscar contenders go, My Week With Marilyn is easily one of the most accessible. Focused on a very specific time in the life of Marilyn Monroe, Michelle Williams stars as the influential actress during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl opposite Sir Laurence Olivier, played by Kenneth Branagh. During this time, Monroe befriends Colin, a young employee for the film, played by Eddie Redmayne. That begins a short-lived relationship, which provides some reprieve from the tension filled film-set. While a good amount of the movie is devoted to the Olivier-Monroe dynamic, the latter is the real focus with help from an incredibly well layered performance from Williams.

But the impressive acting doesn’t stop with the lead. Branagh, with a prosthetic chin in tow, gives a spirited take as the British legend. The layers he peels back on a character that is written to be seen mostly in a professional setting is impressive. There are a few glimpses at Olivier’s personal life, but with the focus on Monroe, Branagh is given limited context and excels. As for the character who participates in the “week with Marilyn,” Colin, there is no drop off in talent. It’s not as complex a character as others, but that proves to work well as a contrast to Monroe. Emma Watson’s bit part also provides strong moments throughout.

As the votes start to come in for the award shows in early 2012, My Week With Marilyn should come up a number of times. It is the best-acted film of the year. Even with sad moments and high drama, the film is a pleasing cinematic experience. The pacing is reminiscent of mid-century romances, and even though the boy doesn’t get the girl in the end, it isn’t that important. Colin was never going to win over Marilyn Monroe. The movie is too real for that type of fairytale ending. (9.5 out of 10)

Melancholia

Occasionally I have found myself in the following situation. I invite a friend to see a new movie with me. This movie is much less mainstream than the friend is used to. They repeatedly turn to me and say, “What the hell kind of movie is this?” Well that is my best way to describe Melancholia. It is that kind of movie. In the film, Melancholia is a planet that has been hiding behind the Sun. After close encounters with Mercury and Venus, there is talk that it may collide with Earth. Kirsten Dunst stars as new bride, Justine, who suffers from a mystery ailment, which may or may not be linked to the approaching planet.

The film is split into three parts, the first being 10 minutes of slow motion imagery depicting the moments of truth later in the movie. While the exact same pictures aren’t seen again, these moments really set the tone for Melancholia and expose the answers to some of the most important questions that will be asked in the final act. Justine’s wedding reception is the second part and the first main narrative. This section is a drawn out look at a few main characters in a number of awkward situations. Through the abundance of individuals displayed, the few main characters are established with strong writing that fleshes out key attributes for later in the film.

The second half is the real event. With less characters and more drama, it is the meat of the Melancholia story. With the planet approaching, Justine and her sister Claire (Justine Gainsbourg) unravel what is going to be more than just a unique vision of a planetary flyover. Kiefer Suterland’s performance as Claire’s husband, John is a surprisingly fresh look at the talents of the actor. But the two women are the real stars here, providing a powerfully real look at how emotions would take hold in this kind of situation. Melancholia is heart-breakingly sad, but somehow the viewer can walk away with fulfillment because it is such an intense study of human emotion. (9.3 out of 10)

Young Adult

For a movie that looked like it would be very awkward and unpleasant, I must admit that Young Adult exceeds my expectations in those categories. Charlize Theron stars as a writer of young adult novels, who receives a birth announcement from her old flame, played by Patrick Wilson. Reading this as a sign that he’s unhappy with his life, she returns to her home town and attempts to win him back. While she attempts to woo this happily married man away from his family, she develops an unexpected sort of friendship with a former classmate, played by Patton Oswalt.

Theron plays her character well, even though she is essentially both the protagonist and antagonist of the film. Written to make the viewer question the mindset of the character and her grip on reality, there are tons of questionable moments that border on cringe-worthy. But I guess that is the point of this movie. It’s the presentation of a terribly flawed individual and her fall from normalcy, all the while disguised as a self-empowerment story. Written by Juno scribe, Diablo Cody, there are strong moments of a-typical dialogue. There are even instants, which could possibly show how Cody gets some of her material. Theron’s character overhears a pair of teenage girls speaking in hyperbole on multiple occasions. These prove to be some of the film’s best moments.

Young Adult is a fairly tough movie to solve. The initial reaction is one of immense dislike. The lead is so screwed up that it’s not entertaining to watch. Then when you dig past that character there are performances like Oswalt’s. Who knew that the comedian could portray such complex emotions in playing a fairly complex character? Apparently the casting people did. As a supposed comedy, I would have liked there to be more comedy instead of awkwardness passed off as jokes. This is just another film in the line of potential award contenders that seek to take all the fun out of going to the movies. (7.5 out of 10)

The Sitter

You know how sometimes an old movie will be re-released on DVD after an actor in it has become famous? That was the feeling I kept getting while watching The Sitter. The movie is apparently new, but Jonah Hill looks completely different now. I suppose that isn’t really important to the movie. In The Sitter, Hill’s character volunteers to babysit three kids so that his mom can have a night out with her friend, the mother of the children. Then when he gets a call from a girl he wants to date, he gets caught up in a series of awkward events involving drugs and such. All of this of course happens with the children, who are equally screwed up in different ways, are with him.

The concept has been done before. Everything from a babysitter who is out of their league to a night in the city where every event leads to something worse, it’s played out. But as with all movies like this, the comedic level is what is most important. Unfortunately, the movie is not very funny. There are some moments here and there that are chuckle-worthy, but for the most part the clearest emotion is fear that these awkward moments will get worse.

The acting is adequate, the pace is fine and to be honest if it ran any longer than it does, (80 minutes) it would be too long. Hill plays the typical lazy character with a heart he’s used to playing. But the overall film doesn’t hold up to his more memorable titles, so this one can be considered a throw away. I wonder if he’ll play this kind of role now that he doesn’t fit that stereotypical look. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough because even when the movie stinks, Hill knows how to handle a comedy. (5.0 out of 10)

The Muppets

It seems odd to me that kids and teens these days didn’t know about the Muppets. I kind of thought they were like Mickey Mouse in how they are always popular but apparently not. Jason Segel wrote and stars in the new film appropriately named The Muppets. After his big screen puppet debut in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, his involvement makes sense. The story follows Segels’s character, his brother Walter (a puppet) and his girlfriend (Amy Adams) as they go on vacation in California. While there, they learn a plot to destroy the Muppet Theater and must reunite Kermit and the gang to stop it from happening.

To be honest, most of the previous Muppet movies have premises much more ridiculous than this, so the simple concept works well. As this is essentially a re-introduction into pop culture, each character is given a scene to show what they are all about. That process makes the film very episodic, but still funny. That is why The Muppets is successful; the script never loses sight of the main objective, witty comedy. I don’t think the film toes the line of risqué as much as the characters used to in their heyday, but they’re just getting their feet wet again.

Possibly the funniest parts of the movie hails from celebrity cameos, but some of them are too obscure. In one scene it is revealed what Segel would look like as a Muppet and alternately what Walter would look like as a human. I found this to be the most effective cameo in the film. Unfortunately, I am going to make you see the movie to find out who it is. But overall, The Muppets is great return for the iconic characters, even if the last third of the film is one giant episode of The Muppet Show. If there are going to be countless franchises directed towards children, I don’t see why The Muppets shouldn’t be one. Welcome back. (8.2 out of 10)

The Descendants

It’s probably safe to say that George Clooney’s character in The Descendants is going through some of the toughest situations anyone can go through. After his wife is injured in a boating accident and lands in a vegetative state, he must accept the fact that she will die. And to make matters worse, he learns that his wife was cheating on him for a substantial period of time. It’s not really a movie to go see as a pick-me-up after a stressful week at the office. But when you get by the initial depression of the storyline, there is a lot of positive stuff happening here.

Clooney gives such a typical Clooney performance that it almost isn’t impressive anymore. He does all the right things by being likeable, and sympathetic, but the fresh faces come off as more compelling. Shailene Woodley, who plays the oldest daughter, gives a complex performance seesawing between an out of control jerk and a strong role-model type. When the audience learns more about why she acts the way she does, the Jekyll and Hyde act becomes an important theme in the film and a lightning rod to bonding with her father and sister. But when a script includes excessive cursing, it better come off naturally, and Woodley’s does not. It’s like when little kids throw it out there to test their parents.

In regard to the more important aspects of the script, The Descendants does much better. The depressing elements give way to strong family moments. Drama emerges from the most innocent exchanges between friends, and who knew that cousins could have such animosity toward each other. While The Descendants definitely carries enough weight to be placed in the award season shuffle, some odd attempts at humor could count against it. And I still can’t get over why there would be pointless swearing when it pushed the film into an R rating. Oh well. (8.8 out of 10)

Hugo

For those who have not seen Hugo yet, I think it may be a bit of a surprise when/if you do. The story follows the titular character (Asa Butterfield) and his friend Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) as they try and solve a puzzle, which they are both linked to. Hugo, an orphan living inside the walls of a train station possesses an automaton, which can only be activated by Isabelle’s heart-shaped key. From there the audience is brought on a journey through early film-making, which I really didn’t see coming. As I was familiar with some of the work being discussed in the film, I was interested but mass appeal is likely less than mine.

One thing that different demographics will agree on is how a unique feel is created from the visually stunning elements. Martin Scorsese directs the film, which makes sense given that there is an equal emphasis on story-telling and visual excellence. With that being said, the film drags a bit at times. My best explanation for this is because the first and second halves essentially act as different stories. Part one is the mystery and part two is the revelation where the audience figures out what is going on.

Those who have studied film or are interested by such things will likely swoon over Hugo. That’s why it has received such critical success. Not many movie-haters review films. The best thing Hugo has going for it is that the film is different. It doesn’t fit into typical categories and that is always a welcome sight. It may not be as appreciated by children, who are supposedly the target audience, but it is family friendly. There are messages about the relationships between social classes, but nothing too scary for kids. It is actually a very intriguing mystery. (9.1 out of 10)

Happy feet Two

Just like the first Happy Feet, the second installment begins as wholesome family fun with toe-tapping renditions of popular music. But then once you let your guard down it becomes a human hating ode to environmentalism. In case you haven’t seen the films, I’ll let you know that it turns out that all humans stink. Maybe I should take a step back for a minute.

The film follows Mumble (Elijah Wood) and his son Erik (Ava Acres,) as they try and help save all the emperor penguins from being trapped in a giant crevice. With help from Ramon (Robin Williams) and a mysterious flying penguin (Hank Azaria) they try a number of ways to get all of the penguins out, but it proves quite difficult.

With themes centered on being unique and overcoming your fears, Happy Feet Two does well speaking to the malleable minds of a child audience. That is until we get the oil tanker involved. Don’t get me wrong, oil spills are a tremendous ordeal and I wish they never occurred, but a song and dance number about it is completely unnecessary. In addition to that, there is a significant dig at humans eating meat even though penguins eat fish. Apparently fish don’t count? Then when humans actually do try to help in the film they are depicted as uninterested quitters. You don’t put these things in a film advertised as cartoon penguins singing Justin Timberlake.

If you are able to block out the overt political messages long enough, then Happy Feet Two is funny for both kids and adults. Williams and Azaria carry the comedic weight throughout, but small roles from Common and Sophia Vergara also work well. And I almost completely forgot about the krill played by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, which really should be a separate movie. They only indirectly interact with the characters and they essentially echo what the rest of the movie is already saying. It’s almost as if the film ran short so they added the krill to pass time. The movie has promise but ends up going too far. (6.3 out of 10)