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By CityMarch of the Penguins ***** out of 5
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March of the Penguins ***** out of 5Penguins Rule The Summer
2005-07-27
Article Written by: Todd Darby
March of the Penguins is a French produced documentary about a group of Emperor Penguins living in Antarctica. It is also the best film so far this year. It is a story about the cycle of life and death, family, survival and above all else, it is, as narrator Morgan Freeman tells us, a story about love. The Emperor Penguins live in the coldest, harshest place on Earth. They travel over 70 miles each year to find a mate and then travel another 70 miles back and forth to feed their children. For some people, it may be a hard sell convincing them to go and spend their movie dollars on a little penguin documentary instead of Tom Cruise blowing up aliens or comic book action heroes but this "little film that could" has the rest of this summer's releases beat on every count. Drama, comedy, adventure, you name it, this film has it. Mother Nature is this year's best screenwriter. What these flight impaired birds have been doing every year for thousands of years is a fascinating tale about facing incredible odds and one that just everyone can enjoy. It's just that perfect a film!
March of the Penguins is a beautifully shot film (Mother Nature is also the best set designer). The tone and images are perfectly balanced and poetic. The French documentary team's cameras get close enough to see the texture of the feathers and go right into the eyes of these creatures, who become very human like. Depending on what theater you see it in, you will be shivering cold, if you aren't already from the a.c. because for 80 minutes or so, you are IN Antarctica. Put aside any assumptions that this is just some nature show you could catch on PBS or Animal Planet (no offensive to either) but this is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen to be believed. All of this beauty and majesty is told to us by the so-warm-and-soothing-it-could-melt-an-ice cap voice of the great Morgan Freeman. Shouldn't Morgan Freeman just narrate everything?
March of the Penguins is refreshingly rated G. It is probably the best film you could take your kids to see to come out this year or any year for that matter. The little ones will be mesmerized by the Antarctic landscape, laugh at the penguin's sillier moments of waddling along and sliding on their stomachs and fall in love with the cuddly little baby penguins. Of course, so will the parents. The film does show some of the dangers of penguin life as well, so be forewarned. There are a few scenes of penguins "not surviving", including an attack by a leopard seal and a young one freezing but the filmmakers handle these sad facts of life with grace and any penguin violence is handled off screen. The penguins don't die, they "disappear". There is nothing here that kids wouldn't see on the Discovery Channel or in a Disney movie like Bambi or The Lion King. And be warned, you will cry. Oh yes, you will cry.
Now guys, I may have lost you on that last paragraph but trust me, this is a great date movie! The whole thing is basically about what these animals do and go through for love. A scene in which two penguins pick each other as their mate and begin courting and rubbing beaks is hands down the single most romantic and sensual scene I've seen in a movie theater in years. These strange yet noble creatures are the real superheroes of the summer box office. Maybe if only Hollywood could make such a non-cynical and good natured film with as broad appeal then more people would go to the movies...that and lowering the price of a small soda to under $5.
