March of the Penguins

Luc Jacquet 2005

An account of the Penguins for Justice League’s march on 10 Downing Street…No, I’m just kidding. The story of the Emperor Penguins yearly trek to a mating ground and the subsequent dangers and hardships of raising new life in such a harsh environment.

When you think about what makes a good film there are a few factors that have to be present in the plot to ensure success. Humour, danger, survival against the odds, love, cute animals and icebergs. And yes they are all present and correct in this film.

I’m not a huge fan of nature documentaries normally; they always seem to be about Lions killing Zebras or ants carrying leaves here, there and everywhere. As nature documentaries go “March of the Penguins” is more about style than substance. However, I’m not saying that as an insult. The visuals of this film are outstanding and as near to perfection as it gets.

As for the narrative, Morgan Freeman delivers simple facts in a wonderfully warm way. The version I watched was just the narrative and not the one that includes the actual Penguins being given voices. To me the Penguins didn’t need to have a chat about things, largely silent though they were, they are wonderfully expressive.

It’s true that this is a very simple story, and sometimes simple works best. An impressively beautiful film that restores my faith in modern filmmaking. Worth the cinema ticket price for the baby penguins alone.