March of the Penguins

Coming from a French director, Luc Jacquet, the miraculous MARCH OF THE PENGUINS would have to be a love story. And it is, in that it follows the mating rituals of the emperor penguin, one of the most resilient animals on earth. Each summer, after a nourishing period of deep-sea feeding, the penguins pop up onto the ice and begin their procession across the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Walking in single file, they are a sight to behold. Hundreds converge from every direction, moving instinctively toward their mating ground. Once there, they mingle and chatter until they find the perfect mate--a monogamous match that will last a year, through the brutal winter and into the spring. During that time, the mother will birth an egg and then leave for the ocean to feed again. The father will stay to protect the egg through the freezing blizzards and pure darkness of winter, which would be deadly to practically any other species. Finally, with spring, the egg hatches and the baby penguins are born. Mothers return from the sea to reunite with their families and feed the starving newborns, while the fathers are finally relieved of their protective duties after months without food. The film is remarkable in its story, which is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose dignified voice gives the penguins the grave admiration they deserve. But even more incredible is its photography, which shows the penguins hunting underwater, sliding on the ice, and in the midst of "kissing." At one point the camera even zooms inside the mouth of a penguin as it regurgitates for its young. A story of love and more strikingly, survival, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS is any eye-opening and educational experience.
 

Run Time: 80 minutes

Industry Reviews

"MARCH OF THE PENGUINS makes a compelling case for celebrating the glory of all living things..."
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (06/24/2005)

"The feeling that these creatures are brave, indomitable souls surviving unimaginable physical hardship for the sake of their families is inescapable."
New York Times - Stephen Holden (06/24/2005)

"[A]s uplifting as anything you will find in theaters as the birds' struggle encompasses all the elements of great drama."
Los Angeles Times - Kevin Crust (06/24/2005)

"A cinematic experience that is dazzlingly different from anything currently in theaters, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS captivates with its straightforward but powerful story of dogged determination, survival against harsh odds and sacrifice."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (06/24/2005)

"[A] wondrous look at the emperor penguins of Antarctica....Morgan Freeman provides the sturdy narration."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (08/25/2005)

"This is a story about biological imperative, albeit an extraordinary and impressive one, superbly filmed under the most extreme conditions."
Sight and Sound - Philip Kemp (12/01/2005)

3 stars out of 4 -- "[B]est appreciated on its simplest level. That is, as a nature documentary. One with neat-looking penguins who exist in a realm that has very little to do with humankind."
Premiere - Kelly Borgeson (12/01/2005)

"[A] surprising, endearing and cuddly underdog triumph..."
Uncut - Chris Roberts (01/01/2006)

Ranked #25 in Rolling Stone's "Top 25 DVDs Of 2005' -- "[M]agnificently filmed....Popular favorite for the year's best documentary."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (12/01/2005)

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