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For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.

March of the Penguins (Le Marche de l'empereur): Emperor Penguin Mating and Migration Habits Subject of Delightful Documentary

Film Review by Kam Williams

Every now and then a low budget movie captures the imagination of young and old alike, offering a cinematic experience so delightful that it defies convention and builds, rather than loses, its audience over time. The last picture like that was the heartwarming My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). That film stayed under the radar for over a year, making less than a million dollars in its opening weekend, yet ultimately grossing about a quarter of a billion dollars at the domestic box office alone.

Similarly, March of the Penguins is slowly moving up the charts, continuing to earn more from week to week. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, this enchanting documentary was shot in Antarctica by Frenchman Luc Jacquet and his crew.

The film promises to do more for penguins than Winged Migration (2001) did for geese. The visually captivating Migration observed and admired an assortment of flocks from a discreet distance; however, March of the Penguins offers a far more intimate examination of the penguins' lives. As the film unfolds, we find the camera focused on thousands of Emperor penguins on their annual trek to a mating ground that they apparently have returned to for millennia.

To get there they must negotiate their way across a hazardous, ice-bound terrain where dangerous predators, principally the leopard seal, lay in wait. The elements are an equally formidable enemy in this bleak terrain, where sustenance is scarce and the weather is unforgiving. The awkward birds alternately wobble on foot and glide on their bellies in a manner which at times appears comical.

When they reach their destination, the birds pair off in an elaborate mating ritual. Since each female produces only one egg, the survival of the offspring is contingent upon both parents instinctively collaborating to nurse it through the two-month gestation period and then through the challenging period of adjustment to life in a treacherous environment.

Director Jacquet has cleverly figured out a way to imbue his subjects with essentially human qualities, as they deal with hunger, rejection, loss, loneliness, and sensuality. It is this engaging anthropomorphism which elevates March of the Penguins above a National Geographic episode to become an endearing, unforgettable movie.

Excellent (3 and 1/2 stars). Rating: G. Running time: 84 minutes. Studio: Warner Independent.