Susan Granger’s review of “March of the Penguins” (Warner Independent Pictures)
French filmmaker Luc Jacquet’s nature documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, delves into the reproductive lives of the emperor penguins of Antarctica, a barren expanse that explorer Ernest Shackleton described as “the coldest, windiest, driest and darkest continent on the planet.” Each year, emperor penguins who have reached the age of five leave the relative safety of the coastal sea to waddle purposefully 70 miles inland in a single-file procession to their traditional breeding ground where the ice is thick enough to make sure the newborns don’t drown. After mating, the female produces a single egg and transfers the nurturing process to the male. While the weary females trudge back to the sea to fill their empty bellies, the males huddle together, waiting for their mates to return. Often the females die, either from exhaustion or from predators like leopard seals, orcas and giant gull-like petrels. Then the hungry males trek back to the coast. Many chicks die or lose one parent or both during these arduous, repeated journeys back-and-forth in the 71 degrees below zero temperature with winds up to 150-mph. Once one accepts the appeal of Luc Jacquet’s choice to anthropomorphize the penguins’ nobility, there’s both comedy and drama in their odyssey, amplified by Alex Wurman’s upbeat score. These plump, black-and-white birds with a hint of orange on their faces are quite fascinating to watch so, after filming in 16mm for 13 months, the director, cinematographers, editor and writer knew they had a real survival story, a literal race against time. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “March of the Penguins” is an eye-popping, endearing 9. If you loved last year’s “Winged Migration,” you’ll enjoy this G-rated, family-friendly entertainment too.
