Every
emperor penguin attracts a
mate by singing a unique "heartsong". If the
male penguin's heartsong matches the
female's song, the two penguins mate. Norma Jean, a female penguin, falls for Memphis, a male penguin and they become mates. They lay an egg, which Memphis cares for while Norma Jean leaves with the other females to
fish. While the males struggle through the harsh
winter, Memphis briefly drops the egg. The resulting chick, Mumble, is unable to sing but is nevertheless enamored with Gloria, a female penguin who is regarded as the most talented of her age. One day, Mumble discovers he is able to
tap dance before encountering a group of hostile
skua, with a leader who is tagged with a
yellow band, which he says is from an
alien abduction. Mumble narrowly escapes the hungry birds by falling into a crevice. Now a young adult, Mumble is frequently ridiculed by the elders and their leader Noah. After escaping from a
leopard seal attack, Mumble befriends five
Adelie penguins named Ramón, Nestor, Lombardo, Rinaldo and Raul, known collectively as "the Amigos", who embrace Mumble's dance moves and assimilate him into their group. After seeing a hidden human
excavator in an avalanche, they opt to ask Lovelace, a
rockhopper penguin, about its origin. Lovelace has the plastic rings of a six pack entangled around his neck, saying that they have been bestowed upon him by mystic beings. For the emperor penguins, it is mating season and Gloria is the center of attention. The Amigos unsuccessfully attempt to help Mumble win her affection by having Ramón sing a Spanish version of "
My Way" behind Mumble, with the latter
lip syncing. After Mumble desperately begins tap dancing in sync with her song, she falls for him and the youthful penguins join in for singing and dancing to "
Boogie Wonderland". The elders are appalled by Mumble's conduct, which they see as the reason for their lean fishing season. Memphis begs Mumble to stop dancing, for his own sake, but when Mumble refuses, he is exiled. Mumble and the Amigos return to Lovelace, only to find him being choked by the plastic rings. Lovelace confesses they were snagged on him while swimming off the forbidden shores, beyond the land of the
elephant seals. Not long into their journey, Gloria encounters them, wishing to become Mumble's mate. Fearing for her safety, he ridicules Gloria, driving her away. At the forbidden shore, Mumble, Lovelace, and the Amigos are attacked by two
orcas, during which Lovelace is freed from the plastic rings. After escaping, they find a fishing boat and climb atop a tall iceberg. In the distance, they see several more boats, the cause of their fish scarcity. Mumble jumps into the water and exhaustingly pursues them alone, eventually washing up on a beach. He is rescued and brought to Marine World, a fictional zoo in
Miami, in an exhibit with
Magellanic and
chinstrap penguins. After a long and secluded confinement unsuccessfully attempting to communicate with humans visiting the exhibit, he is about to succumb to
madness when he unexpectedly reveals his dancing skills to the humans, who are all amazed. He is released back into the wild with a
tracking device attached to his back. He returns to his colony and challenges the will of the elders. Memphis reconciles with him just as a research team arrives, verifying Mumble's statements of "aliens" existing. The entire colony engages in dance in front of the research team, whose expedition footage prompts a worldwide debate which eventually results in a ban on all Antarctic
overfishing, satisfying both the emperor penguins and the Amigos. ==Voice cast==