Director George Miller on the themes of Happy Feet 2
I often say that these stories are for the adult in the child. And the child in the adult. That if you're 80 and you go to one of these movies with your grandchildren, you can feel what it's like to be a child again. If you're a child, you can enjoy it on the level of your understanding as a child. You can dance and so on. Even if you're a little kid. But there are other ideas if you're a teenager. You get a sense, you're struggling with identity. And understanding about being different and trying to find your way. That's addressed for you. I think that's why these family films are so important. Because they can be enjoyed by young and old. Male and female.
At the heart, the central story of Happy Feet 2 is about Mumble trying to connect with his son. And the son learning: it's not what you say, it's what you do. And the kid learns that from his father. And their unified. But it takes a lot to show what Mumble is capable of. Because when they plunge into their dilemma, in which he has to save his whole nation. And he has to bring a whole bunch of characters together. And the way he does it, so honorably and with so much grace, is not lost on the little guy.
