ittle Mumble (Elijah Wood), the son of Emperor Penguins Memphis (Hugh Jackman) and Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman), has a big problem: he can't sing a single note. In a world where every penguin attracts their soul mate through their own special heart song, he hasn't got a chance, even though he's a brilliant tap dancer. His deepest feelings don't come from his beak� they pour out through his "happy feet."

  Though his mom thinks this little habit is cute, his dad says gruffly, "it just ain't penguin." Memphis is guilt-ridden because of a mishap that occurred while Mumble was under his care when he was still in an egg. He wonders if he's to blame for his son's oddball ways.

  As all the young penguins become teenagers, Mumble is the last to lose 
his adolescent feathers. His one friend and crush, Gloria (Brittany Murphy), happens to be the best singer in Emperor Land, and as they grow up, she becomes a beautiful young female who gets more than her share of attention from the young male penguins. Although she has a special place 
in her heart for Mumble, she only sees him as a little brother.

  Things go quickly downhill for the little penguin when the Elders cast him out of his community for being too different. Undaunted, he sets out on a 
actors
Elijah Wood
Hugh Jackman
Nicole Kidman
Robin Williams
Brittany Murphy

director
George Miller

location
Australia

outtake
Before his death, Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) voiced Trev, the elephant seal.

journey to make his own path in the world, dance talent and all.

  "This movie is basically March of the Penguins meets Riverdance," explained Robin Williams who voices Ramon, a penguin that befriends Mumble.

  Elijah Wood was excited about performing his first major voice role as Mumble. "Doing voice work is an enjoyable process because you end up bouncing off the other actors and improvising and throwing ideas around. It's a lot of fun, and a lot can come out of that process," he told MTV. "There's something freeing about not having to worry about acting visually. It all just comes through the voice."

  Director George Miller, who wrote the Golden Globe Best Picture winner Babe, told USA Today that he first considered doing a film featuring Emperor Penguins after seeing the BBC documentary Life in the Freezer. "I had no idea what extraordinary creatures they were. It was a chance to look at how individuals in a community can't survive without depending on one another." He explained why he decided to make the film animated rather than using live penguins: "You can't train a penguin to dance. Animation was the only way to do it."

-- Alexandra Heilbron