‘Happy Feet Two’ tries to fit too much in one movie

‘Happy Feet Two’ tries to fit too much in one movie

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/happy-feet-two-tries-to-fit-too-much-in-one-movie/

Courtesy Warner Bros. Productions

“Happy Feet Two”

Directed by George Miller

Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink

Grade: D

There are bad sequels, there are pointless sequels and there are agitating sequels. “Happy Feet Two” is all three.

Following up with Mumble the tap-dancing penguin, this animated film takes place not long after the first film ends as Mumble (Elijah Wood) and Gloria (Pink) live happily with their fellow Emperor penguins trying to raise their son. After Mumble’s journey outside of the penguins’ homeland in the first film, their society has reformed — children are taught not only how to sing, but how to dance.

But Mumble’s son, Erik (E.G. Daily), does not fit in with his fellow penguins and does not have the passion for dancing that his father brought to the group. During a brief journey with Mumble’s old friend Ramon (Robin Williams), Erik meets a revered bird named The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria). Mistaking Sven for a penguin that can fly, Erik makes it his dream to learn how to do the same. But before he can return home to his mother and father, everyone’s world is literally shaken as melting icebergs cause disturbances throughout the Antarctic.

If this seems like a messy story, it is. One of this film’s biggest flaws is its fast pacing and attempts to squeeze too much into a two-hour running time. The first movie was accused of the opposite problem — being too slow — but it seems that this film has overcorrected.

This problem doesn’t just affect the plot — the music and visuals are overdone, as well. This is pretty much a long, never-ending music video with mash-up after mash-up of bad dance moves and songs with the lyrics edited to make penguin jokes. The few lines of dialogue that aren’t sung are forced, fast and painful to listen to.

Though it was slow, the original “Happy Feet” characters felt developed and relatable, thanks in part to some very convincing voice acting. The fact that the first film followed a limited set of characters over the course of several years led to a fairly decent, emotional story told convincingly, albeit slowly.

“Happy Feet Two” does no such thing. Instead, it’s too busy juggling a bizarre, overcomplicated plot to even pick a main character or two. Not once during the film is it made clear whether the main protagonist is Mumble, his son, Gloria or any other penguin in the film. And come the end of the film, it’s impossible to tell what the lesson was. The value of family? The importance of good deeds and of being true to yourself? That even the smallest beings can make an impact on their surroundings? It could have been any of these — or something else, for all viewers knew.

Adding to the film’s flaws, Mumble’s parents (played by Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman) have completely disappeared. And the character of Gloria feels substantially different since Brittany Murphy, the original voice actress, died. Plus, in what may have been the worst decision by the director, the film got an additional two characters named Bill (Matt Damon) and Will (Brad Pitt), two krill taking part in a separate, unrelated journey of their own.

Remember Scrat the saber-toothed squirrel in the “Ice Age” films? These two krill serve a similar purpose — they offer pointless, bad comedy and distract viewers from the story, effectively ruining any limited tension that ever existed.

As the final nail in the coffin, while some other recent animated films know how to use 3-D effectively, this one does not. Young children may be amazed by the bubbles floating toward their faces and may enjoy the return of these dancing penguins — but this time, few outside of that age group will feel the same.

Giving time to good causes offers students many unexpected rewards

Giving time to good causes offers students many unexpected rewards

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/giving-time-to-good-causes-offers-students-many-unexpected-rewards/

By Anthony Gima | Staff Photographer

Sam Yeoman with George, the mastif.

Pittsburgh needs me. It needs you too.

Volunteering is one of my favorite activities and I do it pretty often. Working in the community not only gives a volunteer a sense of purpose and happiness, it can also help teach people about their city and give them networking opportunities.

I’m not alone when it comes to volunteering. Nationally, 62.7 million people volunteered a total of 8.1 billion hours of service in 2010, according to Volunteering in America’s website. The average volunteer spent about 34.1 hours working for no pay to help others and support various causes.

Often, the idea of “making a difference” comes up among volunteers at any site. There are other reasons to get involved, too, from learning about local issues to potentially getting academic credit, according to Terrence Milani, director of Pitt’s Student Volunteer Outreach office.

There are different levels of volunteering. Some people take part in one-time projects with multiple organizations, and others spend their time working at one site repeatedly. I do a little bit of both.

For example, through one of the organizations I’ve worked with — The Pittsburgh Project — I learned about food deserts, areas where people have absolutely no access to nutritious, healthy food.

The Pittsburgh Project is a local nonprofit that helps residents in the North Side by repairing houses, hosting summer camps and after-school programs, and even running a local farmers market. I learned about the issues that exist in areas like Pittsburgh’s Hill District while working on their urban farm.

Brett Probert, the volunteer resources assistant of The Pittsburgh Project, reported that so far in 2011, the group has had nearly 1,200 volunteers work for 6,000 hours.

“Obviously, the impact volunteers make for our ministry is huge,” he said. “We could not begin to accomplish much of what we do without them.”

A lot of organizations utilize one-time volunteers for various projects because “episodic volunteers” can fill “sporadic” needs, Probert said.

But one-time volunteering is relatively brief, and some opportunities are lost when a volunteer’s involvement is brief. This is why there’s another option volunteers have that I take part in: volunteering on a regular basis.

Currently I volunteer with a local museum and a local animal shelter, and I could go on and on about the benefits these two things have brought my way.

Volunteering not only helps with volunteer networking, but with career networking as well. At the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, a nonprofit museum that operates and preserves old streetcars, I have a network of people who are like family to me. People have written letters of recommendation as well as connected with me on the website LinkedIn.

I can also add real-world experience to my resume, like marketing. I also work as a volunteer for the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society’s College Canine program. The shelter sends volunteers to campus once a week to help students reduce stress. For three years now, I’ve helped the group manage their online media and I can add those advertising clips to my resume.

After three years, I’ve bonded with the coordinator of the program, Marsha Robbins. Last summer, she helped me land an internship I desperately needed to finish my major and helped me find a job at the same site.

But these are all side benefits of volunteering. The real benefit is helping others and at the shelter, that can make a huge difference, Robbins said. Animals are calmer and happier thanks to cat cuddlers and dog walkers, meaning it’s easier for vet techs and adoptions coordinators to handle the animals and do their jobs.

Depending on the site a student picks, volunteering potentially “enhances academic performance and pursuits,” Milani said. Often, people find volunteer programs that match their personal or academic interests, which means that their volunteer work gives them extra time to learn and even work ahead of their peers. And there are always the benefits of hands-on experience and networking.

Some students avoid volunteering because of time issues, so finding a great volunteer site is important. Some require extensive time on site, but others are very relaxed about hours students put in.

Fortunately, finding a place to volunteer that matches your personal interests is not difficult. Students can find a club at Pitt that aligns with their personal interests and ask about volunteering opportunities. They can get involved in religious activities and service projects, or even talk to professors about volunteering options in their fields of interest.

Google is always a good place to look, too. On the Student Volunteer Outreach website, www.svo.pitt.edu, students can sign up to receive a bulletin that currently reaches about 9,000 students a month and features about 150 volunteering sites.

This weekend, consider starting a few one-time volunteer projects and see where you want to keep going, what matches your personality and which one matches your time schedule the best. What do you have to lose by trying something new?

Nalada tells stories without lyrics

Nalada tells stories without lyrics

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/nalada-tells-stories-without-lyrics/

Nalada

Lisa Miles

Ravello

B

Rocks Like: Cello Fury

Not every album needs lyrics to tell a story.

Such is the case with Lisa Miles’ Nalada, the most recent release in her 25-year history of performing. A Pittsburgh-based artist, Miles is a violinist and composer known for combining classical styles with punk rock rhythms and creating dark and meditative music. Her latest album manages to tug at the emotions of the listeners by using sound instead of words to tell tales.

Nalada, which means “mood” in Czech, features original compositions used in live, collaborative performances with other artists. The album is completely instrumental, primarily featuring violin, cello, bass, harp and guitar, among other instruments.

The lack of lyrics doesn’t make for boring music, though. Miles’ songs all set a different mood and manage to tell listeners a story. Often, the meanings behind the songs are in their titles, as well as in pitch and tempo.

Take, for example, the softly melodic track, “Now I See Myself” — an obviously self-reflective number with an entrancing sound. In the beginning, a single violin wavers longingly as a vocalist hums between bars. Halfway through, the tempo picks up and a guitar strums along in a moment of musical epiphany.

Some tracks in the album feature a single instrument moving freely in a smooth, relaxed manner. It is apparent that Miles’ sound and style is influenced by well-known classical composers, like Mozart.

Other tracks, like “Potent,” combine a number of sounds, swinging more into Asian-inspired styles. Brisk, staccato notes played intensely create a heavy sense of tension until the end of the song.

Not every song is particularly memorable, but overall, Miles has produced an impressive instrumental display of composition and put a contemporary spin on classical music.