I took my five year-old to “Happy Feet” today, but we arrived a little late and missed the opening few minutes. Could anyone fill me on what was said/shown? We came in just as the mother was barfing up a fish for baby Mumble. Please be as specific as possible, especially with regard to what makes Memphis an unfit father (he mentions dropping the egg later on; was that shown in the opening?).
Ok…so the movie opens with Norma Jean singing in the middle of a huge group of penguins. They’re all trying to win her by singing their own songs but she pushes them off since their song just doesn’t move her into love. Enter Memphis, singing a quite amusing version of Heartbreak Hotel. She’s instantly smitten and they fall in love.
Scene cuts to them moving the egg from her care to his. She and all the other females are departing for the seas to fish and leaving the males behind to care after the eggs. Scene then cuts to a huge, vicious storm. The leader is calling for all the males to huddle together to protect themselves and their eggs from the cold. The northern lights form into a shape of a penguin which they are all singing too. Suddenly you see a form of Norma Jean. Memphis is thinking about her and sees the image and calls out to her, trying to do a little Elvis-style jig to the image. In doing so he drops the egg, while a narration is saying “One thing is certain, never drop your egg.” The egg goes rolling down a snowbank and Memphis dashes after it, digging it out of the snow and returning it to his feet, saying “No harm done, no harm done.” But he’s obviously worried.
Cut again to a while later. The weather’s nice and we see all the eggs hatching. Move to Memphis looking down at his egg with isn’t showing any signs of hatching. Baby Gloria and her dad walk up to Memphis. It seems the egg isn’t going to hatch and her father tries to console him, saying that it sometimes happens. Gloria’s pecking at the egg, asking if it’s empty and if she can have it. Suddenly the egg jiggles a bit and Memphis gets excited. Two little penguin feet pop out and bounce the egg down a little embankment where it falls and cracks open completely. We see little baby Mumble standing there doing a little jig, saying “C…c…cold!” and proud dad hurries over to him, saying he’ll get used to it. He calls Mumbles over, and the little chick hops and skips and does funny dancing things with his feet as he goes to his dad. Memphis asks what’s wrong and Mumble says he’s happy. When asked what’s wrong with his feet, Mumble replies that they’re happy too. Dad then tells him to stop because “It just ain’t penguin”. Little Mumble agrees and returns to the warmth of Memphis’ feet.
Cut again to the leader penguins looking out into the distance, talking about how the females are late returning and worrying that the fish are going to be scarce this year. Someone yells that they’re coming and we see the female penguins returning on the horizon. All the fathers are standing and waiting with their little ones in tow. Memphis tells Mumble that he’s going to stay still and not move when he sees his mom. Mumble asks how he’ll know who she is. Memphis states that he’ll just know because she has a ‘wiggle in her walk’ and when she sings that it ‘darn near breaks your heart’. The females are finally visible and calling out for their mates. Mumble gets excited and runs from Memphis calling out for his Mama. Memphis calls after him, trying to chase him but loses him amongst the others. While he’s looking for Mumble, Norma Jean finds him. They nuzzle each other and she asks where the baby is. Memphis stutters a bit and she proclaims ‘You lost him??’ Then we hear Mumble go “Mama?” and we see him come out from the crowd. She calls him over and he does his little hippity hop, dance and skip thing going over to her. She asks what’s wrong with his feet and Memphis claims he’ll grow out of it.
And then the feeding scene 
Yes I’ve seen this movie WAY too many times.
Thanks, AF; that’s exactly what I was looking for!
And shoot, it looks like we missed more than I had thought.