Review: March of the Penguins

Writer’s notes: The March of the Penguins is a documentary about Emperor Penguins and their lives in Antarctica. You can guess the content. However, some of you may choose to see the movie and then read my analysis. Bottom line: this movie has my highest recommendation.

The March of the Penguins is not a whimsical, cute Disney version of the animal kingdom. It simultaneously shows the brutality of nature and its beauty. Antarctica is the most inhospitable land on earth, where the average summer day is a balmy minus 58 degrees, and this environment provides the background for the penguins' march inland.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, The March of the Penguins shows the mating ritual of the Emperor penguins as they march hundred of miles inland from the sea to their breeding ground. Guided by instincts honed by thousands of years, the penguins advance to the anointed place. Along the way, they suffer the brutal ravages of winter storms and attacks from predators as they rendezvous with other penguins to find their perfect mate. With each day getting colder and a near permanent darkness descending with the approaching winter, the penguins march toward their destination.

The journey is arduous and slow. The penguins make their journey by foot and on occasion by belly. When they reach their destination, the mating ritual begins and so does the battle for survival. During the mating season, the males preen and females fight for attention. In a kingdom in which the females outnumber the males, fights between females are not uncommon. From this point, both males and females sacrifice nearly all to reproduce one chick. The female lays her eggs and must return to the sea to replenish her body, as she will nearly lose a third of her body weight during the birth process. After refilling the nutrients in her body, the female begins her second journey inland.

Article Author: Tom Donelson

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