Do you dance like Happy Feet?
Being the holiday season, I dragged my kids off to watch Happy Feet, a movie about lot of cute penguins who save the planet. The animation is great, even if the plot has a few holes in it.
Happy Feet (called “Mumble”) is a penguin who wants to dance rather than sing, much to the disgust of the elders of his particular colony. I nearly said church!. I wouldn’t be far wrong either as the leader (”Noah the elder”) of the colony must surely have been modelled on some stick-in-the-mud Scottish minister type. In the end the whole colony accepts happy feet and his foot work. The movie has something to say about accepting change and especially those who are a little different.
The other theme is about getting humans to notice what they are doing to the penguin population with their greedy fishing practices. The plot is a little strange here, since Happy Feet having found himself in a zoo somewhere, then miraculously turns up back home with a tracking device attached to his back. His dancing feet have made the world sit up and take notice. I wish it was that simple. Having also watched Penguin Week on channel 5 the other week, it isn’t our fishing that is the biggest threat, but our driving of big gas-guzzling cars and planes.
What about the strong anti-Christian subtext of the film? I did not finish watching the movie because I found it so offensive. I was initially disgusted by the opening mating ritual in a child oriented film, but I found the pro-immigrant anti-Christian message of the film utterly appalling.
Yes, I noticed that as well. Though, I saw it as a challenge for church to be different rather than an offense. To rid itself of the judgmental, self-righteous and judgmental attitudes that often have hindered Christ’s message.
I SAW THE MOVIE AND WAS WELL PLEASED WITH WHAT “I ” RECIEVED FROM THE MOVIE .YES THERE WAS SCENES THAT MAY HAVE NOT PLEASED EVERY ONE.I WOULD HAVE TO SAY “TAKE THE MEAT AND THROW AWAY THE BONES”.
Actually, sometimes I think we need to chew on the bones too.
I did not view the film as anti-Christian but rather a statement that all are accepted by God - it is only humans who exclude other humans. That seems to be a message contained throughout Jesus’ ministry - a message to accept and affirm all people, even when they look, act, and talk differently than we do. What a novel idea!!