French filmmaker Luc Jacquet and his devoted crew endured a full year of extreme conditions in Antarctica to capture the life cycle of Emperor penguins on film, and their diligence is evident in every striking frame of this 80-minute documentary.

Narrated in soothing tones by Morgan Freeman, the film focuses on a colony of hundreds of Emperors as they return, in a single-file march of 70 miles or more, to their frozen breeding ground, far inland from the oceans where they thrive. At times dramatic, suspenseful, mischievous and just plain funny, the film conveys the intensity of the penguins' breeding cycle, and their treacherous task of protecting eggs and hatchlings in temperatures as low as 128 degrees below zero. There is some brief mating-ritual violence and sad moments of loss, but March of the Penguins remains family-friendly throughout, and kids especially will enjoy the Antarctic blue-ice vistas and the playful, waddling appeal of the penguins, who can be slapstick clumsy or magnificently graceful, depending on the circumstances. A marvel of wildlife cinematography, this unique film offers a front-row seat to these amazing creatures, balancing just enough scientific information with the entertaining visuals. --Jeff Shannon


Customer Reviews (Average 4.5 from 64) :
March of the Penquins
Rating:5
Very informative, camera work excellent, a must to be seen for anybody interested in wildlife.

Long march
Rating:4
The 'long march' of emperor penguins has been going on for thousands of years, and is far more impressive than the long march of leftists through the institutions. These penguins aren't left-wing, in fact they rarely use their wings at all, mainly their feet, and sometimes slither for miles on their bellies when their legs are tired. The regal birds last 125 days without food in one of the most violent and deadly winters on earth (minus 80 degrees, 100 mph wind), all for the sake of their young.

Images are what make this film so outstanding. Cinematographer Jerome Maison asks "how can I darken the purity of the white continent with words?" Ice cathedrals, hypnotic, mirage-like landscapes..."winter's architecture" one of the filmmakers calls it.

The camera-work and cinematography is outstanding. The sex scenes are delicately handled, but what really makes this worth getting on DVD is the featurette 'Of Penguins and Men', which is actually better than the film itself.

Penguins
Rating:5
This film should be seen by everyone, it is wonderful and worth watching several times

March of the Penguins
Rating:5
Absolutely amazing if you are into wildlife Documentaries. My 2 year old loved it as he is a big 'happy feet' fan.

It's a tough life being a penguin
Rating:4
If you think it's tough being a human being, imagine being a penguin. I like the grand struggle that the penguins undertake. I identified with their emotional conflicts and I admired their sense of community. A moving film which is amusing and sad by turns.