Review of March of the Penguins (2005) by Saara T — 13 Jun 2009

This is a very strong documentary about one of the world's most unusual animals, the emperor penguin. Making their home in the world's harshest environment, the film captures the hardships and joys of the yearly mating ritual that they undergo in order to survive.

"March of the Penguins" is narrated by Morgan Freeman, which isn't much of a surprise considering that's the role he plays in almost every film he's in. But his voice is pleasant and matches the imagery well. The photography is absolutely stunning capturing both the beauty of Antarctica and its hazards. However, it's the camera's capture of the animal that is so great.

The emperor penguin is an odd animal, but also a charming one. They mate for a year and in that year a male and female try to formulate a family unit. The care and love that is portrayed amongst the animals is wonderful. Their ancient rituals like passing the egg, is shown with great realism. In fact, the film is very realistic and shows a species that undergoes many hardships in order to provide life. There are predators, deaths, reunitings, and devotion. I think what makes the emperor penguin so endearing is how humanistic they are.

They travel for no apparent reason. They find a mate to create a chick and stick with that mate for the whole year. There is great care and emotion for a tiny egg. They're indentifiable because they appear to care deeply about what they're doing. I don't know if this is a result of the filmmaking or the way they really are. I prefer the latter, but the film does a great job capturing it all. "March of the Penguins" is a touching film that will not disappoint.