March of the Penguins (2005)

Morgan Freeman narrates this Luc Jacquet documentary about the emperor penguins. The monogamous couples walk to their traditional breeding grounds where they laid one egg each. The couple carefully balance the egg on one's feet to incubate it while the other goes back to the ocean to feed. They would transfer the egg as each partner goes back. It's a long dark winter as the sea freezes and the distance walked gets further and further. The mass of penguins huddle against the cold while their partners hunt for fish avoiding deadly seals. It's an epic of parenthood in nature. The story is touching although it may be too humanized. It doesn't as much eat or be eaten as most other nature film. For some reason, Freeman's narrations threw me off. It's never not Freeman and it's harder to get lost in the penguins. Overall, this is a good nature film.

Here is a simple documentary about birds living in the harshest environment on Earth, with never so much as a tree or a cave for shelter.They march 70 miles for food, risk getting eaten by sea lions, and huddle together in 80-below temperatures amid lashing winds -- all to give birth to fuzzy gray chicks that will grow up to repeat the cycle.From a distance, penguins look startlingly like people against the backdrop of this frigid no-man's land. Their movements are often endearing, and one quickly grasps the inspiration for cartoons like "Happy Feet." I watched this with my 11-year-old son, who particularly enjoyed the penguins' beguilingly adorable offspring. (When their tummies are full, there's nothing cuter!)Many countries have research stations way, WAY down under, but we are given no sense of where they are in relation to these throngs of loud-mouthed waddlers. A map would have been appreciated, and I'd have liked to learn a little more about these stomach sledders -- about their numbers, their varieties, and why the South Pole region is their one and only habitat. While this film can be visually dazzling, the audience's other senses are mostly neglected. On a recent trip to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, my kids and I noticed a stench while viewing a couple of penguins in their outdoor pen. Antarctica's throngs must truly reek but nothing is said of that. We do learn a little about how bird calls help the seemingly identical penguins to tell each other apart. In addition, predators get mention but aren't really described. In one instance, an awkward seagull-like creature seems to capture a straying chick. Does it actually kill the unfortunate fuzz ball? We never know. And while we get many glimpses of dripping ice, global warming and its impact on penguin culture gain nary a mention. In all, a little more information would have improved this admirable effort considerably.

Amazing and touching documentary about life in one of the harshest places on Earth. March of the Penguins tells the story on a colony of Emperor Penguins after 5 years living in the sea will march nearly 70 miles on frozen tundra to their breeding ground, far inland from the oceans where they thrive. It is there, that the cycle of life continues for them, as both female and male Penguins go through trials and tribulations with multiple arduous trips between the ocean and the breeding ground to give birth to the next generation. Director Luc Jacquet and his devoted crew from National Geographic Society endured a full year of extreme conditions in Antarctica to capture the life cycle of Emperor penguins on film, and their diligence is evident in every striking frame of this 80-minute documentary. It's beautiful shot, footage. March of the Penguins is a brilliant stirring and engaging nature film. Mad props to them, as they had to challenge of making the film when the weather was with windy 125 miles per hour temperatures between -50 and -60 °C. That's crazy cold! I had to put a coat on, just thinking about it. It has all the narrative excitement with the soothing voice of Oscar Winner, Morgan Freeman. If you are watching the French version of the film, the film has a first-person narrative as if the story is being told by the penguins themselves. The narration alternates between a female (Romane Bohringer) and a male (Charles Berling) narrator speaking the alternate roles of the female and male penguin, and as the chicks are born their narration is handled by child actor Jules Sitruk. I don't dislike this Anthropomorphism version, but I think hearing Morgan Freedom's voice make the film more mature. Having penguins have human voices make it seem like a nature film. I think the International dubbing as roles for the penguins is just don't have the ring for a documentary with a third-person narrative. Plus the international version have different titles that doesn't have the feel for the film such as the Philippine's version Penguin, Penguin, How Were You Made? Or India's Penguins: A Love Story. I will take 'March of the Penguins' title over these international titles that explain the harsh voyage the Penguins go through. Also I don't like the International's version of music choice of electronic too much. Its sounds too haunting rather than epic journey. Don't get me wrong, I like Émilie Simon, but songs like 'Frozen World' would sound better in a gritty fantasy movie. The music instrumental score by Alex Wurman is amazing. The only problem with his, is that the score track loops way too much in the film. I think the movie was very educating to people who wouldn't know anything about the species. Yes, it got a few things wrong like saying penguins are monogamous when in reality penguins are serial monogamy. The movie is great for both children and adults as it is Rated G, but still there are scenes of mating, violence, and sad moments of death due to Mother Nature's cold environment, and predators. So do warning. The movie was advertised as being so adorable and fun for the entire family, but that is simply not so. There were cute moments, and a couple of hoots, but for the most part it was just gloomy and depressing! Well, it didn't stop the movie from reaching the masses. The movie became so popular, that in 2007, a direct-to-DVD parody written and directed by Bob Saget called Farce of the Penguins was released. It is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and features other stars providing voice-overs for the penguins. I wouldn't go see that crap movie by Bob Saget. Overall: Penguins are beautiful, amazingly emotional creatures and this movie help you understand what they go through, when in order to reproduce, which is a lot of hardship and misery. Don't look at them as an anthropomorphic depiction of penguins, but as normal animals trying to survive. Give it a go, you won't regret it.

Morgan Freeman narrates this documentary about penguins in the Antartica or South Pole region where French scientists cover a year in their lives. The photography or cinematography is first rate and the documentary looks beautiful because of the scenery and it's characters which is a penguin colony. Here, the scientists observe and learn about the penguins' lives in the Antartica part of the world during the coldest weather. It's amazing to see Antartica so beautiful, so untouched nor destroyed by mankind to be allowed such crisp, clearness, clarity, pristine beauty, etc. Antartica should always be preserved and protected by the world. Anyway, the penguins are the major inhabitants. These beautiful creatures must endure harsh storms and predators seeking food. They are a community of parents and children where mothers and fathers leave their young to search for food in the ocean. It's an amazing voyage of watching the baby penguins grow and bond with their parents.