Movie Review: March of the Penguins

March of the Penguins

I'm almost embarrassed to say that, though I enjoy documentaries, I rarely take the time to watch them these days despite having the ready availability of many such films via my handy dandy cable TV connection. To actually pay to see a documentary is, for me, unheard of. I made an exception for March of the Penguins, however, due both to a particularly slow weekend for new movie releases as well as the critical acclaim that's been heaped upon it to date. I cannot express how grateful I am that I did. March of the Penguins is an unforgettable experience!

March of the Penguins documents the extraordinary life cycle of Antarctica's emperor penguins. These birds are big (3-4 feet tall and as much as 90 pounds), and the obstacles they face to continue their species are even bigger. The birds, graceful as anything you've ever seen underwater, are comically ungainly on land. But when it's time to breed, the birds not only beach themselves but proceed to march some 70 miles inland. They select mates and breed once they reach their isolated rookery, and then must nurture their fragile eggs through the most horrific winters on earth.

The females lose about half their body weight to produce their eggs, and they must quickly leave the rookery to get back to the sea where they can feed and replenish their energy. That leaves the males — who have already fasted for the two months it takes the females to lay eggs — to keep the eggs warm for another two months or so. That they somehow manage to fast for about four months even as they keep the eggs warm in temperatures reaching 80 below zero and winds of up to 150 miles per hour is astounding. It's no less miraculous that the females make it back to the rookery, find their families just after hatching, and regurgitate food for their hungry chicks.

Death is, under such circumstances, inevitable. Some of the penguins die during their long march inland; some chicks are lost during the transfer from female to male when only a few unprotected moments is enough to freeze the delicate eggs. Some females don't make it back to the sea after having fasted for so long. Those who do make it into the water are prey for orcas and sea leopards. Meanwhile, some fathers don't survive the harsh winters; of those chicks that make it to hatching, some freeze in the many harsh storms and others fall prey to predators. In fact, the survival of the species at all is almost as surprising as is the cycle that continues it!

The educational aspect of March of the Penguins almost goes without saying. Our knowledge of emperor penguins is fairly recent, and certainly our study of them is quite new. But what will keep you watching is the truly breathtaking cinematography. The long lines of penguins headed for the rookery would be unbelievable if you weren't seeing it for yourself, and their waddle is both amusing and a surprising testament to their apparent courage. At the rookery, photographers were able to capture some of the most intimate moments of the emperor's life cycle in extraordinary detail. You can see the texture of the adult penguins' oily feathers; you can watch their slitted eyes gleam as they engage in a surprisingly sweet and gentle courtship. Footage of the egg transfer from male to female is well documented; the newborn chicks are shown in vivid and detailed close-up with their round black eyes, their chubby-cheeked faces, and their pear-shaped downy bodies.

Intersperse this spectacular footage with scenes of the ice from above and below the sea level, swirls of blowing snow, a low sun barely lighting a naked horizon, and film of the penguins' underwater antics, and you've got a visual treat that's virtually unsurpassed. The narration of March of the Penguins is provided by award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. His performance is, unsurprisingly, very good. The script with which he had to work is perfect for the movie; sure, it's educational, but it's also entertaining. The music, too, meshes beautifully with the production.

Everything the critics have raved about is here and then some. March of the Penguins is funny, suspenseful, touching, and immeasurably sad in turns. Taken as a whole, it's just terrific on a variety of levels, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

FAMILY SUITABILTY: March of the Penguins is rated G for all audiences. I disagree with that rating. Nature isn't deliberately cruel, of course, but she is never-the-less unforgiving under a variety of circumstances. Small children aren't going to react well when deaths are discussed or even detailed on screen; I frankly didn't react too well myself to scenes of grieving penguin parents or tiny frozen bodies on the barren ice. But older children and certainly teens and adults should all find something of value to take away from the experience, not least of which will be a newfound respect for the ability of life and love to overcome even the highest odds.