2011, 20th Century Fox
Live action with some computer animation
Rating: PG
Approx. 95 mins.
THE STORY:
Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) is a highly driven professional who has little time for anything beyond work, including his two kids. One day, he receives a mysterious crate from his estranged father who has just died. As a final gift, Popper's father has sent him him not one, but six Gentoo penguins.
At first Popper tries to rid himself of the birds, but they soon grow on him-- and provide him with an entree into the lives of his kids. His world is gradually turned completely upside down, with his New York condo becoming an icy penguin paradise and his demanding job becoming a thing of the past. When the penguins produce eggs, his transformation into penguin guru is complete.
When one egg fails to hatch, Popper is crushed and reverts to his soulless existence. He donates the penguins to the zoo and returns to his job. Popper's fall is only temporary, however. When he tries to return the penguins to their natural habitat, he discovers that the zoo has acted in bad faith. In the end, with the help of his family, he is able to rescue the penguins and everyone lives happily ever after where they belong.
At first Popper tries to rid himself of the birds, but they soon grow on him-- and provide him with an entree into the lives of his kids. His world is gradually turned completely upside down, with his New York condo becoming an icy penguin paradise and his demanding job becoming a thing of the past. When the penguins produce eggs, his transformation into penguin guru is complete.
When one egg fails to hatch, Popper is crushed and reverts to his soulless existence. He donates the penguins to the zoo and returns to his job. Popper's fall is only temporary, however. When he tries to return the penguins to their natural habitat, he discovers that the zoo has acted in bad faith. In the end, with the help of his family, he is able to rescue the penguins and everyone lives happily ever after where they belong.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
- Thank God.
- Oh my God.
- sexy
- I don't do drugs.
- stupid
- shut up
- dead
- Viagra
- dumb
VIOLENCE:
- nothing notable
TEACHING POINTS:
- If you try, you can succeed
- It's never too late to be a better person
- Our success as individuals can be measured by the care we show others
THE UPSHOT:
The DVD cover claimed this was G-rated, but further investigation online came up with a PG rating. That explained the amount of questionable language. I'm not a prude, but I found some of it inappropriate and unnecessary in a kids' movie. There is also a bit of pooping and gas related humour, but nothing particularly alarming.
The plot is a bit hokey and the ending is universally happy in a completely unrealistic way, but it's a kids' movie. The penguins are adorable and Jim Carrey is very funny. The humour alternates between over-kids'-heads adult references and kid-friendly silly slapstick, so everyone in the room found something to enjoy.
I found it particularly interesting that the 'bad guy' in this film is a zoo employee, and the 'evil' he tries to do is simply routine zoo practice. Despite the relatively high number of kids' movies featuring zoos, this is the only one I've come across (so far) which touches at all upon the contradictions of zoos as institutions for the benefit of animals. The message isn't overly in-your-face, but could serve as a starting point for discussion if you want it.
The DVD comes with a worthwhile few kid-oriented extras, including an animated short following up on the lives of the (fictional) penguins after the conclusion of the film.
The plot is a bit hokey and the ending is universally happy in a completely unrealistic way, but it's a kids' movie. The penguins are adorable and Jim Carrey is very funny. The humour alternates between over-kids'-heads adult references and kid-friendly silly slapstick, so everyone in the room found something to enjoy.
I found it particularly interesting that the 'bad guy' in this film is a zoo employee, and the 'evil' he tries to do is simply routine zoo practice. Despite the relatively high number of kids' movies featuring zoos, this is the only one I've come across (so far) which touches at all upon the contradictions of zoos as institutions for the benefit of animals. The message isn't overly in-your-face, but could serve as a starting point for discussion if you want it.
The DVD comes with a worthwhile few kid-oriented extras, including an animated short following up on the lives of the (fictional) penguins after the conclusion of the film.
4/5
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