March of the Penguins
A movie to amaze the eyes and astonish the heart.
Every year, thousands of emperor penguins make an astonishing journey to breed their young. They are birds, but they do not fly. They are aquatic animals, but this time they will not swim. Instead, they walk - marching day and night in single file 70 miles into the darkest, driest and coldest continent on Earth.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, March of the Penguins is an amazing, awe-inspiring, all-ages, true-life tale touched with humor and alive with thrills. Breathtaking photography captures the transcendent beauty and staggering you-are-there drama of devoted parent penguins who, in the face of the fierce polar winter, take turns guarding their egg and trekking to the ocean in search of food. Predators hunt them, storms lash them. But the safety of their adorable, fuzzy chicks make it all worthwhile. So follow the leader... to adventure!
Member Reviews
Inspirational - gingericecream
Years ago I burnt out on nature documentaries. This was partially because they seemed to be produced with the same formula over and over again. The other reason was a lack of hope on my part that the films actually make any difference to our endless destruction of habitat. The enthusiasm for this film tempted me and I'm glad I rented it. Not only was it a pleasure to watch but the effort the film makers went to to bring this story out and to make it watchable encouraged me. Perhaps there are enough of us giving up on cars, choosing fuel efficiency or buying local. Maybe I'm not in love with a dying planet after all.The most compelling, strikingly beautiful Emperor penguin footage in cinematic history - purvis1359
Narrated by Morgan Freeman (who, by the way, does a stupendous job as narrator), "March of the Penguins" consists of about 80 minutes of absolutely stunning cinematics and is the perfect example of what successful documentary film should be: strikingly brilliant visually and narratively compelling.
"March of the Penguins" follows hundreds-upon-hundreds of Emperor penguins as they embark on a seemingly impossible journey from the ocean to one of the bleakest locations on the planet, where some of them (the males) will remain, starving, month after month - all to protect their unhatched young. After laying their eggs, the female penguins head back hundreds of miles towards the ocean where they will collect fish to feed their young once they hatch. Two months after having laid their eggs and left the males to protect and keep them warm, the mothers return, hopefully just in time to feed their hungry offspring and ward off the ever-impending threat of starvation..
Many baby penguins are not able to survive the extreme cold of Antarctica or the lack of food that accompanies it, a fact that is made all the more heartbreaking by the tribulations that these animals must endure simply to lay their eggs. While "March of the Penguins" does have some very sad moments, there are also many moments of tremendous glory, happiness, and love - moments of exquisite beauty and pulchritude.
Cinematically, "March of the Penguins" is nothing short of amazing. Never before has there been such incredible footage of the Emperor penguin's epic journey to create and provide for their offspring. There were many times during this documentary that I found myself, jaw gaping in awe, wondering how the film crew could possibly have obtained such footage (in particular some of the underwater scenes). I would absolutely, without a doubt, recommend that anyone with at least one eye rent "March of the Penguins" and I will guarantee that you will not be disappointed.Amazing! - Karen4
If only all documentaries could be this good! I had no idea to what lengths penguins go to just to have a baby. The cinematography was great and it was amazing how they caught the emotions of the penguins (you can just tell how close and connected they are during that whole time). And the perseverance they show to keep their egg safe while the winter really blasts them. Not to mention the months they spend not eating and all that walking to and from the food source.
This movie is definitely one I could watch over and over!
Member Reviews
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Inspirational - gingericecream
Years ago I burnt out on nature documentaries. This was partially because they seemed to be produced with the same formula over and over again. The other reason was a lack of hope on my part that the films actually make any difference to our endless destruction ...The most compelling, strikingly beautiful Emperor penguin footage in cinematic history - purvis1359
Narrated by Morgan Freeman (who, by the way, does a stupendous job as narrator), "March of the Penguins" consists of about 80 minutes of absolutely stunning cinematics and is the perfect example of what successful documentary film should be: strikingly brilliant ...Amazing! - Karen4
If only all documentaries could be this good! I had no idea to what lengths penguins go to just to have a baby. The cinematography was great and it was amazing how they caught the emotions of the penguins (you can just tell how close and connected they are ...