Easily one of the year's best films, "Happy Feet" is as stunning musically as it is visually.

The Australian-American venture boasts the masterful direction of George Miller, who has brought us a multitude of superb films such as "Babe" and the "Mad Max" series.

With hundreds of animation specialists at work, Miller has come up with a serious contender at next year's Oscar for best animation. It has a good chance of beating out "Cars", Pixar's mighty movie this year.

The selection of songs on its infectious soundtrack pays tribute to several decades of great tunes, starting with Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" and Earth Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland", which serves as one of the big numbers for this touching family fare.

If you have children, this movie is a must-see. If you don't, it's still mandatory viewing, if not just for the laughs.

With his string of box-office movies, Miller, who could do anything he wanted, bravely chose to do "Happy Feet", even though it's probably his most risky. He and viewers can thank a sterling cast, headed by Elijah Wood voicing the film's hero, Mumble, a penguin who's ostracised by his own colony because he doesn't fit it.

Brittany Murphy as his love interest Gloria and Nicole Kidman as his mother are terrific, as are those in the more difficult parts, like Hugh Jackman as Mumble's dad. Adding on to the strength of the solid Australian cast is Hugo Weaving, who plays the villainous Noah.

But the show stealer is predictably Robin Williams in dual roles - Lovelace, a daffy prophet, and Mumble's friend Ramone.

Without giving too much away, Williams has never sounded more outrageous and absolutely crazy than in these bizarre roles.

Miller has crafted a funny, warm and exciting film that viewers can watch repeatedly without ever getting bored because there's so much going on.

Also, the killer soundtrack will not fail to please, with songs from the Beach Boys, Prince, Chrissie Hynde - in short all the stuff you never get on local FM stations.

"Happy Feet" is also topical, addressing ecological dangers so close at hand. The plight of the penguins and other polar animals are ours as well. If they perish due to man's insatiable appetite for pillaging natural resources, most likely so will we.

by hanuman