March of the Penguins

2005 "In the harshest place on Earth, love finds a way."
7.5| 1h20m| G| en
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Every year, thousands of Antarctica's emperor penguins make an astonishing journey to breed their young. They walk, marching day and night in single file 70 miles into the darkest, driest and coldest continent on Earth. This amazing, true-life tale is touched with humour and alive with thrills. Breathtaking photography captures the transcendent beauty and staggering drama of devoted parent penguins who, in 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 chicks makes it all worthwhile. So follow the leader... to adventure!!

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Reviews

Alicia I love this movie so much
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Lee Eisenberg We often hear about penguins and sometimes see them in zoos. But not until you see them in their natural habitat do you get a true sense of what their lives are. The Academy Award-winning documentary "La marche de l'empereur" ("March of the Penguins" in English) shows a number of emperor penguins walking - and sometimes sliding - back to their breeding ground for the winter. And remember, this is an Antarctic winter. The documentary tugs at the heart occasionally, since not every member of the group survives. After all, there's no room for error in Antarctica's winter.I understand that in some countries, the documentary gets narrated in first person, as though the penguins are conversing with each other. Since I've only seen the English-language version, I only heard third-person narration by - who else? - Morgan Freeman. Whatever the case, this is one impressive documentary. It deserved its Oscar win (although it did have strong competition in Alex Gibney's documentary about Enron). Good one.
AaronCapenBanner Fascinating and beautifully made documentary narrated by actor Morgan Freeman shows the migratory journey of a colony of emperor penguins at the south pole who must make the 70-mile trek from their shores inland in order to get to the mating grounds, where they face even more hardships, as it is the mothers who must make the return journey to the water in order to find food(evading waiting predators), and the fathers who stay behind to take care of their egg by concealing them under a flap of furry skin to shield them from the blistering cold, while they face starvation themselves. Even after the eggs are hatched(not all will survive) they face threats from predators and continued freezing weather, as they live in the harshest climate on Earth... A real achievement in filmmaking will resonate most with animal lovers, but will still appeal to all in fine family entertainment.
webberrules I think this movie is interesting and beautiful. Now, because this is a French film, some of you people are thinking "Wait! Don't you hate dubs?" To be honest, yes, I do. An awful lot. And I find them infuriating, but this movie is the exception. The difference is that this movie is a documentary, because it does not get overly concerned to be considered a foreign language film, whether animated or live action, as well the only voice-over changed is the narrator, so that change is passable. Morgan Freeman did a good job narrating this movie about emperor penguins.If you are a fan of penguins or documentaries, try this movie out.
jonesa03 The March of the Penguins is an Academy Award winning documentary that tracks the voyage of the Emperor Penguin as they make their way to and from the ocean to their breeding ground. It is a remarkable tale of the continuation of a species. A theme throughout the film is that of the awe inspiring love of a parent to a child. No matter the species, the gift of life is a marvel and a thing to be cherished. The Emperor Penguins go through great trials in order to bring about the hatching of their young. They must travel many miles in harsh conditions to reach the breeding ground where they can safely lay their single egg. The father penguins must survive months with no food, huddled together to provide warmth to each other and protection to their eggs. Each father is responsible for the egg he harbors on his feet, beneath a fold of warm skin, while the mothers must make the trek back to the ocean in order to feed themselves and bring food back for their babies. The penguins must struggle against the elements, predators, and starvation. They struggle through these things, all in the hopes of a successful hatching.Morgan Freeman is the only human voice heard throughout the duration of the film. He expertly provides the narration needed to understand the movements of the penguins, and assists the viewer in understanding the harshness of Antarctica and the trials that the penguins go through. He provides interesting facts and details about Emperor Penguins that create a bond with the penguins, such as the fact that Emperor Penguins are monogamous, but only for the season. The March of the Penguins is similar to the 2007 documentary Artic Tale. Both movies focus of the lives of animal parents and their young as they struggle to live in the coldest parts of the world. Both show the trials that the animals face to ensure their survival and the possibility of future generations.The voyage of the penguins comes alive with the capabilities of the camera crew. Much of the film is shot from a subjective, eye level height. This really lets the viewer feel like they are in with the penguins and experiencing the harshness of the weather and the joy of the eggs hatching. Often, the camera zooms in on the penguins so the viewer can appreciate the beauty of the penguins and their surroundings. The camera takes a different angle when the long journey to and from the breeding ground is shown. In this case, it's more of an objective view looking down of the penguins as they make their single file march. The view scans out to see the vastness of the icy landscape and the extreme distance they must travel, all in order to create a new generation.Sound is also a key technique in establishing the bond between parent penguins and their young chicks. Before the father penguins leave the young chicks in their mother's care to head back to the ocean to feed after a four month fast, they sing to their babies and their babies sing back to them. This is the only way that they will recognize each other upon the father's return. It is amazing upon the fathers return, that through the chaos of all the penguins singing that each father can find what he is looking for, his chick. In the coldest place on earth, life remains. The Emperor Penguins continue to struggle and survive in order to create the greatest joy in life, a new life. Everything they do is for the benefit of their young chick. A parent's love can withstand harsh weather, fierce predators, and stress to their bodies in order to create a future for their children. The cycle of life continues.