March of the Penguins

While I’m not ready to jump on the bandwagon of praise, "March of the Penguins" is a remarkable achievement in documentary movies. Filmed over the Antarctica winter, the filmmakers spent the harsh winter at the French research station Dumont D’urville. Located at Terre Adélie (167.000 square miles station has a population that ranges from 30 people in winter to about 100 in the Austral summer. The penguin population is seasonal, and ranges in the tens of thousands.

The movie focuses on the penguins alone, and that provides a slow paced look at this unique species of bird. I like penguins as much as the next person but I can’t say that I’m a big fan. I do have a new respect for how they brave the winter months and take care of their eggs and the new chicks. What I enjoyed most about the movie was the scenery. The underwater and glacier footage was incredibly beautiful.

At 84 minutes, it’s a short movie but I wasn’t prepared for how slow the time would go by. If you like penguins and are inclined to see this movie, then you’ll enjoy the time. Don’t go when your brain is going at full speed because there will be a disconnect in your viewing experience. My favorite part was the footage of the filmmakers during the end credits. I was more interested in their process of how the film was made, than I was in the film itself.

"March of the Penguins" is not a bad movie and it is an incredible work of passion by director Luc Jacquet. In a summer of lame movies, I understand why people are going to this movie. It delivers exactly what it promises - a penguin love story. And sometimes, that’s exactly what an audience needs.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog