March Of The Penguins (DVD) Review
6679
Product Reviews > Movie Reviews
Mar 1, 2007
Britt Gillette
March Of The Penguins (DVD) Review
One of the more surprising films of 2005, and perhaps the most intriguing, was March Of The Penguins, a full-length feature film documentary cut from the same mold as a PBS National Geographic special. Directed by Luc Jacquet, the film had its origins in France, but the narrative theme is neither French, nor English, or for that matter, reflective of any nation?s cultural influence. Instead, March Of The Penguins is a truly rare cinematic masterpiece that transcends borders, language, and culture. Its brilliant portrayal of the Emperor penguin in his natural habitat offers universal appeal to audiences everywhere by reinforcing the themes of love, companionship, life, and the struggle to overcome the hardships of an oftentimes cruel and unforgiving world.
The US version of March Of The Penguins is narrated by Morgan Freeman, a stellar choice for the role as his precise, yet folksy, voice serves to underscore the magnitude and the magic of the annual journey endured by these fascinating animals. The visuals of the film are powerful in their own right, but I doubt the movie would?ve enjoyed the massive commercial success it did without the strength of Freeman?s performance. In the opening scenes, Freeman introduces us to the Emperor penguin and its icy homeland of Antarctica. As winter approaches, penguins from all over the continent make an instinctive annual voyage across rugged and inhospitable terrain in search of the ancient Emperor penguin mating ground.
Along the way, audiences learn every particular detail of the arduous task that awaits the Emperor penguins. With thousands gathered together, each must find a mate. Once the relationship has been consummated, a single egg is the product of their pairing. But the egg is fragile, subject to easy fracture and the hazardous conditions of extremely low temperatures. As such, the male penguin must protect the egg while the female returns to the ocean in search of food for herself and her yet to be born offspring. In the interim, high winds, driving snow, and freezing elements pound away at the swarm of male penguins as they desperately protect their respective eggs. Amazingly, the herd instinctively protects itself from the relentless cold by rotating those on the outside into the middle and vice versa, so that the burden of the cold weather is shared equally by all.
Once winter subsides and the females return, the newly hatched baby penguins face the additional threat of predators. The males must make their own journey to the ocean, and the budding toddler penguins must be initiated into the ways of their world, all so the process can take full-circle and start all over again next year?
One of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries ever released, March Of The Penguins is an utterly fascinating film. In contrast to the usual mind-numbing action-packed blockbusters produced by Hollywood (and demanded by those of us in the viewing public), March Of The Penguins is both educational and entertaining. You?ll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat in anticipation as these rugged creatures engage with the harshest elements of nature. You?ll root for the heroes and boo the villains, but despite the absence of a contrived Hollywood plot, you?ll find yourself truly captivated by this charming film ? the story of struggle, the story of triumph, the story of life? March of the Penguins.
The US version of March Of The Penguins is narrated by Morgan Freeman, a stellar choice for the role as his precise, yet folksy, voice serves to underscore the magnitude and the magic of the annual journey endured by these fascinating animals. The visuals of the film are powerful in their own right, but I doubt the movie would?ve enjoyed the massive commercial success it did without the strength of Freeman?s performance. In the opening scenes, Freeman introduces us to the Emperor penguin and its icy homeland of Antarctica. As winter approaches, penguins from all over the continent make an instinctive annual voyage across rugged and inhospitable terrain in search of the ancient Emperor penguin mating ground.
Along the way, audiences learn every particular detail of the arduous task that awaits the Emperor penguins. With thousands gathered together, each must find a mate. Once the relationship has been consummated, a single egg is the product of their pairing. But the egg is fragile, subject to easy fracture and the hazardous conditions of extremely low temperatures. As such, the male penguin must protect the egg while the female returns to the ocean in search of food for herself and her yet to be born offspring. In the interim, high winds, driving snow, and freezing elements pound away at the swarm of male penguins as they desperately protect their respective eggs. Amazingly, the herd instinctively protects itself from the relentless cold by rotating those on the outside into the middle and vice versa, so that the burden of the cold weather is shared equally by all.
Once winter subsides and the females return, the newly hatched baby penguins face the additional threat of predators. The males must make their own journey to the ocean, and the budding toddler penguins must be initiated into the ways of their world, all so the process can take full-circle and start all over again next year?
One of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries ever released, March Of The Penguins is an utterly fascinating film. In contrast to the usual mind-numbing action-packed blockbusters produced by Hollywood (and demanded by those of us in the viewing public), March Of The Penguins is both educational and entertaining. You?ll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat in anticipation as these rugged creatures engage with the harshest elements of nature. You?ll root for the heroes and boo the villains, but despite the absence of a contrived Hollywood plot, you?ll find yourself truly captivated by this charming film ? the story of struggle, the story of triumph, the story of life? March of the Penguins.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the March Of The Penguins (DVD).
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Nominated for 17 Emmys, including one Golden Globe for Best TV Series - Drama, Little House On The Prairie is one of the most popular shows in television history. Based on the autobiographical series of "Little House" books written by Laura Ingalls
Category:
Hands down, Naional Lampoon's Chrismas Vacaion is he bes Chrismas-hemed comedy ever filmed. Personally, I make i habi o wach his movie abou en million imes beween Thanksgiving and Chrismas Eve. Even afer seeing he film so many imes
Category:
Nominated for 12 Teen Choice Awards in its five-year (six season) run, including Best Drama Series, Dawson's Creek quickly built an extensive cult following. A surprise smash hit for the enterprising WB network, the show initiated a successful string
Category:
One of the least appreciated films of 2005 is Must Love Dogs, an upbeat romantic comedy about two recent divorcees. Directed and adapted to screen by Gary David Goldberg, veteran TV writer for such shows as MASH and Family Ties, the film offers a number
Category:
Nominated for four Emmys, including Outstanding Dramatic Series two times in its short three-year stint, Star Trek is a true legend of television history. The rainchild of former L.A. policeman Gene Roddenerry, the show premiered in Fall 1966 only to
Category:
One of he funnies and mos ourageous comedies of 2005, Wedding Crashers will have you falling ou of your chair wih laugher. Direced by he underraed David Dobkin, he film feaures now veeran Hollywood funny men Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in
Category:
Think history is boring? Think again! I is proof that an educational film can also be one of the most popular and entertaining series ever produced. A 1976 mini-series, starring many of the best known theatrical performers of its day, I
Category:
Nominated for four Academy Awards, and winner of Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, The Incredibles is one of the best animated films ever produced. A cross between Toy Story, Superman, and Office Space, it provides an endless array of action
Category:
The most ntroversial film of 2004, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was widely derided by critics and detractors as a two-hour anti-Semitic pornography/horror flick, mplete with splattering blood and arduous torture. But among the Christian
Category:
One of the more clever television creations of the new millennium, Monk combines the high-grade suspense of a traditional TV drama with the quirky humor of a big screen comedy. Originally developed for ABC, the show became an instant prime-time lynchpin
Category:
Leaping onto the television landscape in Fall 2001, Smallville follows the exploits of a young Clark Kent in the years leading up to his emergence as the beloved Superman. Following a slew of TV renditions of the character's life since the comic book
Category:
Initially aired following the 1997 Super Bowl, King of the Hill discovered an instant audience niche that has the followed the show loyally ever since. The brainchild of Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge (also known for the hit movie Office Space),
Category:
The brainchild of writer Joss Whedon, Buffy The Vampire Slayer originally entered American pop culture as a full-length feature film, starring Kristy Swanson, in 1992. But creator Whedon felt that the project never quite did justice to the full scope of
Category:
Nominated for 18 Gemini Awards (which honor the English language achievements of Canadian television), La Femme ta established itself as a stalwart on the USA Network in the late-1990s. Based on the 1990 motion picture of the same name, La Femme
Category:
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Finding Nemo continues the Disney tradition of producing high-quality, lockuster films that entertain audiences of all ages. Featuring the wonders of the Pixar animation technology, the film is a
Category:
One of the more surprisg films of 2005, and perhaps the most trigug, was March Of The Pengus, a full-length feature film documentary cut from the same mold as a PBS National Geographic special. Directed by Luc Jacquet, the film had its origs
Category:
Nominated for 1 Emmy and 1 Golden Globe in its first five seasons, Gilmore Girls has experienced much greater success among TV viewers than among industry critics. In fact, the show is the first script supported by the Family Friendly Forum's script
Category:
For much of the early 1980s, the CBS prime time line-up was dominated by two shows: Dallas and The Dukes Of Hazzard. Following the adventures of the fictional Duke family of Hazzard County, Georgia, the series chronicled their endless struggles with
Category:
19. Ray (DVD) Review
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Ray is a captivating and inspiring true story about a man beloved by millions around the world. Based on the life and times of Ray Charles Robinson, the film follows the popular singer's life
Category:
20. ER (DVD) Review
Nominted for 25 Golden Globes nd 110 Emmys, including 7 for Outstnding Drm Series, ER hs long been one of the best prime-time shows on television. Premiering in September 1994 on NBC, the hour-long hospitl drm vividly illustrtes the intensity
Category:
Other links at Product Reviews > Movie Reviews
One of the best new shows of the past several years, My Name Is Earl follows the life of Earl Hickey (Jason Lee), a man who discovers karma while lying in a hospital bed. Celebrating a $100,000 scratch-off lottery ticket, Earl gets hit by a car and
Category:
Winner of two Academy Awards for Best Music, both Original Score and Original Song, The Lion King would have won Best Picture had it not been an animated film. Arguably the greatest full-length animated Disney feature of all time, The Lion King is a
Category:
The most ntroversial film of 2004, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was widely derided by critics and detractors as a two-hour anti-Semitic pornography/horror flick, mplete with splattering blood and arduous torture. But among the Christian
Category:
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Ray is a captivating and inspiring true story about a man beloved by millions around the world. Based on the life and times of Ray Charles Robinson, the film follows the popular singer's life
Category:
One of he funnies and mos ourageous comedies of 2005, Wedding Crashers will have you falling ou of your chair wih laugher. Direced by he underraed David Dobkin, he film feaures now veeran Hollywood funny men Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68214
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
