The movie March Of The Penguins is a documentary about the Emperor penguins and their journey to ensure the survival of their species. The movie is rated G and narrated by Morgan Freeman.
Each year the Emporer penguins make their way to the same place in Antartica to find a mate and bring a new chick into the world. By some amazing built-in navigational system they always go back to the same place, even though the terrain changes drastically. They walk single file for miles and miles to find the same spot where the ice is thicker than anywhere else in Antartica.
Once they reach the mating spot, they seek out their mate for the season and begin their amazing journey to parenthood. The female lays an egg and transfers it to the father who cuddles and does all he can to keep it warm for months. The female then heads back to sea to eat and bring food back for the chick that she hopes will be there waiting for her when she returns.
The fathers work together by huddling to endure the extremely harsh weather conditions while waiting for the mother penguins to return. They go without food for two months while guarding and hatching the egg. When the mothers return, they once again transfer the baby penguin and the fathers head for food.
As parents they'll make their journeys many times until the chicks that have survived are ready to take their first leap into the sea.
The movie itself is not an action-packed thriller. It's an endearing show of family, love and the desire to be a parent. Thankfully the movie doesn't show any graphic mating that leaves a parent having to explain anything they, or their children, might not be ready for. It's more about the fight to survive.
The movie shows clearly the beauty of these amazing animals and their Antartic habitat. The adults are gorgeous and the baby chicks are just so cute! They look incredibly soft and fragile. The downside of this movie is that some of the babies don't survive and it's really sad. The mother penguins wale and keen for their dead chicks. Their emotions seemed to come right out of the screen. For some, I'd say this will be emotional for them to see.
I found the movie to be thought-provoking. I also found it to be very different from any other movie I've ever seen in a movie theater. If you're looking for a movie to take your child to see, March Of The Penguins isn't a bad choice at all. For a movie at home, it's even better.
