Soundtrack to a comedy adventure--Happy Feet is set deep in Antarctica. Into the land of the Emperor Penguins where each needs a heart song to attract a sould mate, a penguin is born who cannot sing. Our hero Mumble, son of Memphis and Norma Jean, is the worst singer in the world...however, as it happens, he is a brilliant tap dancer!If the producers of the movie Happy Feet had enough foresight, they would have dispatched a CD vendor with batches of this disc to every theater exit sign in America. Outside of Shrek and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, few kiddie flicks have fed a need to hear certain songs again as effectively. That's in part because of "Song of the Heart," a suitably frisky Prince number you won't find anywhere else. But it also has something to do with the efforts of some unlikely performers. Who knew Brittany Murphy could sing? "Boogie Wonderland," her cover of the '70s classic, crackles with big-voiced confidence, and "Somebody to Love," another classic cover, claws listeners in by the flipper-ful. Even Robin Williams's typically manic "My Way (a Mi Manera)" isn't without its charms. Nicole Kidman's "Kiss" mashed with Hugh Jackman's "Heartbreak Hotel" may be among the disc's weaker moments, but the grownups will like it that way--with their kind of star wattage, they're already stealing enough shows. And there's plenty to focus on besides them: standouts include Pink's untethered rendition of "Tell Me Something Good," k.d. lang's beautiful Beatles medley "Golden Slumbers/The End," and the Beach Boys' underappreciated gem, "Do It Again." --Tammy La Gorce
