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Happy Feet
Score by John Powell
Performed by: Prince, Pink, Gia Farrel, Brittany Murphy, K D Lang, The Beach
Boys, The Brand New Heavies
Warner Sunset/Atlantic Records
Rating: 4/10
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 Jump
and Move (422 kb)
The
Story of Mumble Happyfeet (423 kb)
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“Mumble Happyfeet is set on adventure of
self-discovery that is set to both a contemporary soundtrack as well
as the diverse talents of veteran composer John Powell.”
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Got the Hearsong...but
where's the Heartscore?
Review by Christopher
Coleman
 Yet another entry into what has to be a record year
for full-length 3-D animated films is Warner Brothers' HAPPY FEET. As is
the tradition with more animated feature films than not, HAPPY FEET is
highly dependent on its music. In HAPPY FEET, poor emperor penguin,
Mumble Happyfeet, can't sing, and hence can't find and display his own "heartsong."
Instead, young Mumbles shows that he's got another talent - the boy can
dance. Mumbles' object of affection, Gloria, just happens to be one of
the best singers of the penguin colony. Becoming an outcast, Mumbles is
set on adventure of self-discovery that is set to both a contemporary
soundtrack as well as the diverse talents of veteran composer John Powell.
The Warner Sunset/Atlantic soundtrack releases
cashes in on the all-star contributions of the likes of Prince, Pink, Gia
Farrel, Yolanda Adams, Brittany Murphy and even The Beach Boys. This
soundtrack derives its personality from classic R & B remakes such
as Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," Rufus and Chaka Kahn's "Tell Me Something
Good" and Earth, Wind and Fire's "Boogie Wonderland." Each remake takes
an expansive turn with large choir background vocals reflecting the large
emperor penguin community which float in and out of the backdrop the
film. There are a number of more contemporary tracks that fuel this
soundtrack's groove. The soundtrack launches with a smooth cut, "A
Song from the Heart," from Prince that helps to get the audience's heads,
hearts, and feet into film's groove. The signature track which caught the attention of
audiences in the HAPPY FEET trailer is "Jump and Move" by The Brand New
Heavies. Gia Farrell's single "Hit me Up" has also been released as the
lead single from soundtrack. The pop tune will certainly satisfy the
teens and pre-teen members of the audience with its dance but bubble-gummy
nature. It's Mumbles' unique propensity for dance and Gloria's diva
status that gives HAPPY FEET so many opportunities for upbeat, vocal
tunes. While this soundtrack release focuses on the pop portion of the
film's music, the movie is also given its depth through the considerable
talents of composer John Powell.
John Powell is certainly one of Hollywood's most
creative composers, hence the number of animated films already in his
portfolio: Antz, Chicken Run, Shrek, and also in 2006,
Ice Age 2: The
Meltdown...just to name a few. The final track on the release is reserved
for the lone entry from Powell. The 5:51 track is a quick suite of themes
from score. While it is but the smallest slivers it does showcase John
Powell's ability to compose high-energy score that ranges from marching
band music, to game-show inspired, to latinesque, disco-fueled music. The
final couple of minutes showcases Powell's ability to build dramatic
tension with pulsing rhythms, under girded by menacing electronics. As in
just about every other effort in this genre, in HAPPY FEET, John Powell
fails to let his contribution ever get tired or boring. Not including
more or making an all score release available is a crime deserving of
banishment to an icy spot at the bottom of the world itself! As
entertaining as this release is, let's hope that Powell's efforts receive
a more complete relief before too long.
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Track Listing and Ratings |
|
Track |
Track Title |
Track Time |
Rating |
|
1 |
Aa Song from the
Heart (Prince) |
4:36 |
**** |
|
2 |
Hit Me Up (Gia
Farrel) |
3:16 |
** |
|
3 |
Tell Me
Something
Good
(Pink) |
3:11 |
*** |
|
4 |
Somebody
to
Love
(Brittany
Murphy) |
3:47 |
* |
|
5 |
I
Wish
(Fantasia,
Yolanda
Adams,
Patti
Labelle) |
3:32 |
*** |
| 6 |
Jump 'n Move (The Brand New Heavies featuring Jamalski) |
3:22 |
**** |
| 7 |
Doe it Again (The Beach Boys) |
2:27 |
** |
| 8 |
The Joker (Jason Mraz mash-up with "Everything I Own" - Chrissy Hynde) |
4:06 |
** |
| 9 |
My Way (Robin Williams) |
1:45 |
** |
| 10 |
Kiss (Nicole Kidman) with "Heartbreak Hotel" (Hugh Jackman) |
2:36 |
** |
| 11 |
Boogie Wonderland (Brittany Murphy) |
5:10 |
** |
| 12 |
Golden Slumbers/The End (k.d. lang) |
4:16 |
** |
| 13 |
The Story Of Mumble Happyfeet (John Powell) |
5:51 |
**** |
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Total Running Time |
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