March of the Penguins

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated G. 80 minutes. Directed by Luc Jacquet. Narrated by Morgan Freeman. Released in theaters June 24, 2005.

Feeling whiney about your life lately? Go see March of the Penguins, the incredible story of how Emperor Penguins in Antarctica risk life and wing to keep their species alive. And take your kids. Maybe they’ll finally realize how great they’ve got it.

Sure, this movie is a documentary, but you’ll forget all about that when the penguins pull you in and make you love them. That these amazing creatures exist at all is nothing short of a miracle. Here’s the scoop:

Every March, the penguins hurl themselves out of the ocean like torpedoes, falling heavily onto the thick ice floes. Gathering in small groups, they then waddle 70 miles inland to their breeding ground – single file, like little soldiers – braving bitter cold, 100-mile-an-hour winds, and dangerously-thin ice.

Once there, they pair off into couples and mate. The female lays an egg, then marches back to the ocean to fill up on fish. The males are left behind for two months (with no food) to guard and hatch the precious egg, cradled at all times on the tops of their feet under their warm body. Interesting, this role reversal. Kinda makes helping with homework and picking the kid up from soccer seem like small potatoes.

When the egg finally hatches, the fuzzy chick emerges and feeds on its dad’s limited coughed-up food reserves. If the mother is late returning from the ocean with food, the chick will die. Once the families are reunited, the mom takes over and remains with the chick while the exhausted and hungry dad marches back to the sea. Many don’t make it, which is why female penguins out-number males.

Mind-blowing, huh? Not to my 12-year-old son, Will, who in response to my awe declared, “They’re penguins, Mom. That’s what they do.” Well...he DOES have a point, and maybe this movie "Disney-fies" the penguins a bit. But I still think it’s pretty darn miraculous.

THE WRAP-UP: These penguins can teach us a lot about life, love and stamina. When life gets rough, do they whine about it? No. They march bravely onward, determined to bring those chicks into the world, come hell or high ice floes. Do they gripe about having to keep the chicks tucked under their body for months on end? No. One rainy afternoon cooped up in the house is enough to send most of us over the edge.

As for my kids, Will was bored after the first 10 minutes – not enough explosions or earth-saving heroes – but 8-year-old Marissa and I loved it. I won’t soon forget the image of the fluffy chicks huddled under their parents’ warm bodies, nor the extreme conditions the penguins endure to keep their species going.

There are a few sad spots: one penguin gets left behind and doesn’t make it, a new egg cracks and the mom tries to steal another mom’s egg, a sea lion nabs a penguin for supper in the ocean. But I explained to the kids that it’s all part of life and they seemed to understand (although Marissa chose to believe that the left-behind penguin made it). And I’m glad I took Will – he needs something besides Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teen Titans.

SCORE: 4 out of 4 Reels.