Over the years, people have used various medium to further their political, social and moral goals. The one most used is, of course, the media. In the 50s and 60s, if you noticed, Hollywood was a key player in their anti-Arab sentiments. Middle Easterns were always evil, barbaric and heartless. When 9/11 happened, I was a little worried that history would repeat itself.

However, Hollywood has surprised me by going along a whole different vein. It's as if they want to prove that they are not as shallow as they are seen to be. Then again, trying too hard to prove this somehow strengthens the image of such shallowness.

This time, Hollywood has turned to nature. The fight to save the whales, save the rainforest and save the penguins are still going very strong.

This afternoon, I went to watch Happy Feet. I was attracted to the music from the first time I saw the trailers. However, I felt that the cuteness was too...cute. In this age of anti-heros and angsty good guys, I didn't think I could take much sweetness.

Happy Feet was a fun, for-the-moment movie. I heartily enjoyed the soundtrack and I aim to go out and get it when it gets here. There was an underlying moralistic theme there but, if you concentrate hard enough, you might be able to miss it. However, if you're going to go looking for it, it will hit you in the face. Unlike Ferngully, Happy Feet masks the issues rather well.

Happy Feet centers around Mumbles, a sweet, optimistic, too-good-to-be-true penguin who enjoys dancing. Since his singing could cause an avalanche, he's safer dancing, trust me. His parents are the penguin versions of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, as if the names Memphis and Norma Jean didn't give it away.

Of course, art imitates life. When you live in a close community, anything and everything you do needs to conform to the rules of society and you are constantly under the watchful eye of said community. Instead of conforming completely, Mumbles questioned the rules. He is like today's child stuck in yesterday's world.

The movie covers social problems of evangelists and conformity and members of society who seem to think only they are right to environmental problems of humans being Nature's worst enemy and its greatest saviour. All this serious issues are wrapped in a funny, loving and musical package.

I'm not sure if I'd go watch the movie again. But I definitely am going to go look for the soundtrack. It's too great to miss.

I know some people who would not like the story much but they cannot be able to resist the music.