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Ever since director Luc Jacquet’s Oscar-winning Antarctic documentary, March of the Penguins, took the world by storm in 2005, penguins have been popping up everywhere. They’ve been documented, animated, and parodized. They’ve danced and surfed and gone on all kinds of crazy adventures (they’ve even won the Stanley Cup). Still, none of the more recent penguin movies have come close to capturing the same penguin magic as March of the Penguins.
Jacquet’s March is, at its core, a love story. The film follows Antarctica’s Emperor penguins through their annual ritual of meeting, mating, hatching, and caring for their beloved chicks. It’s an unusual story—with both parents playing an important role in the process—and it all takes place in the harshest of conditions, with temperatures that can dip down to 80 degrees below zero. Yet, at every step of the way, the cameras are there to document it all—through the bright, carefree days and the deadliest of winter storms. And while the footage doesn’t have the same polish of the Planet Earth series, it’s often stunning nonetheless.
Jacquet and Jérôme Maison (more on them later) capture the animals, their rituals, and their surroundings in striking detail—and, at the same time, they also manage to capture both the humor and the drama of the penguins’ story. As you watch, you’ll witness those silly moments when the penguins slip and fall as they trudge across the ice, but you’ll also see the heartbreaking moments when a pair of hopeful parents mourn an unborn chick whose egg froze before the father could incubate it.
From the penguins’ hike to their mating grounds (which can be up to 70 miles long) and all the way through to their braving the elements (and their own starvation) to keep their eggs (and, later, their chicks) safe from winter storms and predators, theirs is an amazing story. And it’s carefully and lovingly explained through well-written narration—which, in turn, is beautifully performed (or at least in the English version) by Morgan Freeman. His rich, warm voice is reminiscent of a grandfather’s bedtime stories, and it sets the tone for a poignant, yet perfectly family-friendly film.
Though the story does, admittedly, get a bit sleepy at times, it picks up when the chicks start wandering around the ice. And it eventually builds to a beautiful conclusion.
March of the Penguins has a little bit of something for everyone: drama, comedy, adventure, suspense, romance (and even a little bit of sex). But it’s all wrapped up in a G-rated package. If you’ve seen the other penguin movies, but you’ve somehow managed to miss this one, you owe it to yourself to check out The penguin movie.
DVD Review:
Just in time for holiday shopping comes the new March of the Penguins gift set, featuring a two-disc DVD, a collection of penguin postcards, and a soft and fluffy stuffed penguin.
The first disc in the two-disc set is the March of the Penguins disc, which includes the main feature, along with a variety of features—like a short Bugs Bunny cartoon (which, incidentally, was always one of my favorites) and an episode of National Geographic’s Crittercam, which follows a camera-strapped Emperor penguin named Rodney as he hunts for fish.
The disc’s best feature, however, is the hour-long Of Penguins and Men, which takes a closer look at Jacquet and Maison’s year-long adventure in Antarctica. Though it’s a bit more graphic than March, the film’s added human element makes it every bit as fascinating as the main feature (and sometimes maybe even more so). It’s definitely a must-watch.
And, finally, the set also includes an additional penguin documentary, On the Wings of Penguins, which explores the lives of African penguins.
Of course, if you already have a copy of March of the Penguins on DVD, this new set probably isn’t essential. But with its interesting extras (and that cute little penguin plush) it would make a great gift for your favorite young penguin fan.
