Movie Review: March of the Penguins

We went and saw this movie yesterday and I have to give it a big

This movie is supposedly about how a bunch of penguins go on a road trip to this place where they will have a big party, a lot of sex, and then return home satisfied and refreshed and ready to face the rest of the year. In other words, all the earmarks of a great frat/road film, a la Tom Green, John Belushi et al.

I was expecting a great rock and roll soundtrack, a lot of wet t-shirt contests, obligatory fart jokes, a lot of puking, as well as guest appearances by John Lithgow, Eugene Levy, and maybe even Adam Sandler.

Well, was I in for a disappointment!

This movie had NONE of that! It failed to deliver on the most basic level. There wasn't even a keg anywhere to be seen! What a waste of ice!

The "soundtrack," if you can call it that, had too many stringed instruments that weren't electric guitars. It kind of pussified these penguins, making them seem like this road trip was more of a drudge than a party opportunity. I kept hoping that when they got to the "breeding ground" (cool name for a bar, but there were no neon lights or anything) they would find some band instruments in the snow and start jamming, but instead there was a lot of whining harp music and string "arrangements," bleh.

Plus, a lot of these penguins didn't know how to act at all! There was this one penguin who was horribly miscast and who kept mugging for the camera, a least I think it was the same penguin (I know this might sound racist but they all kind of looked alike...)

I think one big mistake the director made was trying to inject "story" into a road movie. As we all know, in a road movie the goal is not important, it's what happens on the way (i.e. Sure Thing, Road to Zanzibar etc.). There was too much nonsense about how these penguins had to quote unquote "survive" or quote unquote "care for their young against brutal environmental conditions." -- and yet very little about the party atmosphere.

The settings had their moments, but after a while it's like how much barren wasteland can a group of party-seeking penguins take? Let alone an audience. I think they should have cut down all those scenes of snow and mixed it up a little bit; maybe have a dream sequence with a desert scene? I don't know...something.

Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but none of the penguins "talked." I think if they had gotten Eddie Murphy to do the voice of one of the penguins, more people might go to see the movie. And I could totally have seen John Goodman as a polar bear, but alas...just more opporunities wasted...

All in all I don't see how the studio allowed this piece of crapola to be released. Hint: for March of the Penguins II, try to see if you can get Jar Jar Binks to agree to a major supporting role...

Save your money.











March of the edit...
[Edited 9/4/05 7:59am]

What is written on your hands?

heyduckie said:

2the9s said:

heyduckie said:

What is written on your hands?

NYC ORG

Thanks for making me belly-laugh at the end of this crap-ass week!

flutterbyyy said:

The "soundtrack," if you can call it that, had too many stringed instruments that weren't electric guitars. It kind of pussified these penguins, making them seem like this road trip was more of a drudge than a party opportunity.

There was too much nonsense about how these penguins had to quote unquote "survive" or quote unquote "care for their young against brutal environmental conditions."

Hmmm... I've been looking forward to seeing this film, and I've heard loads of good things about it. You have a somewhat different opinion than
e.g. Tom Brook on BBC, and I see now that the film is probably not at all what I expected. I'm going to see it anyway, to make up my own mind,
but I thank you for the warning: my expectations will not be very high now, and I'm less likely to be disappointed. Cheers!

flutterbyyy said:

The "soundtrack," if you can call it that, had too many stringed instruments that weren't electric guitars. It kind of pussified these penguins, making them seem like this road trip was more of a drudge than a party opportunity.

There was too much nonsense about how these penguins had to quote unquote "survive" or quote unquote "care for their young against brutal environmental conditions."

Hmmm... I've been looking forward to seeing this film, and I've heard loads of good things about it. You have a somewhat different opinion than
e.g. Tom Brook on BBC, and I see now that the film is probably not at all what I expected. I'm going to see it anyway, to make up my own mind,
but I thank you for the warning: my expectations will not be very high now, and I'm less likely to be disappointed. Cheers!

9s, you are such a transparent racist. If those penguins were white, you'd be at the theatre again at midnight in your camisole and penguin makeup, reciting the narrative line-for-line.

Jokes aside, what did you really think of the movie? You obviously knew it'd be a documentary, but did you know it'd be so... um... so "bookish?"
[Edited 9/4/05 10:05am]

Lammastide said:

I love penguins. how can you not?

Did it have an happy end?

2the9s said:

Lammastide said:

9s, you are such a transparent racist. If those penguins were white, you'd be at the theatre again at midnight in your camisole and penguin makeup, reciting the narrative line-for-line.

Jokes aside, what did you really think of the movie? You obviously knew it'd be a documentary, but did you know it'd be so... um... so "bookish?"

"Bookish" in the sense of the at times mawkish voice over by Morgan Freeman? lol

I liked it. It's certainly an amazing story. And there were plenty of moments that made you say "Awwww " It also must have been incredibly difficult to shoot and the camera work was incredible.

2the9s said:

2the9s said:

I liked it. It's certainly an amazing story. And there were plenty of moments that made you say "Awwww " It also must have been incredibly difficult to shoot and the camera work was incredible.

thread of the year! ... on so many levels!

Damn! I thought those were ducks.

I finally saw the preview for this. It actually is something I think I wouldn't mind taking my nephews to.

I know three people that have cried during this movie.

__________________________
Ze belong ere in Mozambique...

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this thread was my idea

Ok, so this friend of mine...who I always thought was a hottie, finally ask me if I wana go see a movie this week. I'm into comedy, horror, suspense..movies that are weird and make you think..some action, etc..Butterfly effect, Crash, Man of fire, etc..well guess what he wants to see? Yeeup! This penguin movie...Says it has some kind of spiritual connection for him??? Guess we'll see? I'm not passin this oppurtunity up...dark theater, cute guy... For real though...if I have time, I'll post what I thought after seeing it. Considering I thought this was like one of those IMAX type movies, that would only playing at a museum near you.