Cute Creatures Score Big With Hit Movie

The run away family hit of the summer is a documentry. It may not make as much money as silliness like Sky High, but sitting in a packed theater four weeks after opening, I couldn't help but experience what crowds of people already have from MARCH OF THE PENGUINS. This is a story for families, and anyone who wants to have a family. It's a love story, a story of dedication, and a story of overcoming ridiculous adversity. Oh and it has cute baby penguins in it. Morgan Freeman provides the narration for the piece, heartwaming and often funny; he guides us along the journey of Antartica's emperor penguins, who, at 4 feet tall, walk some 70 miles across frozen tundra to their breeding ground and go monthes without food while laying and protecting their eggs. The cinematograpy, not surprisingly, is spectacular. I actually started to freeze in the theater after constant snow storm scenes. Did I mention the cute baby penguins?

The trial these creatures go through is amazing, and I can't imagine a better documentry on penguin breeding, that being said, it did at times feel like something I could have been watching on the discovery channel (which I rarely watch) so be ready. Unlike MURDERBALL which feel like a movie that just happens to be a documentry, this is very much a nature documentry that just happens to be playing in a movie theater. It is well worth seeing it on the big screen though, both for the beautiful snowy vistas and the communal viewing experience. One other word of caution, this is not necessarily for very small children. Nature can be harsh. That's all I am going to say. I cried at several places (yes I am a big baby) but its said. Because the penguin babies are so cute. I recommend this movie for animal lovers, documentry fiends, national geographic subscribers, and people who love Sea World. Rick's Rating: B+