Stars: Morgan Freeman

Director: Luc Jacquet

Summary: Coming from a French director, Luc Jacquet, the miraculous MARCH OF THE PENGUINS would have to be a love story. And it is, in that it follows the mating rituals of the emperor penguin, one of the most resilient animals on earth. Each summer, after a nourishing period of deep-sea feeding, the penguins pop up onto the ice and begin their procession across the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Walking in single file, they are a sight to behold. Hundreds converge from every direction, moving instinctively toward their mating ground. Once there, they mingle and chatter until they find the perfect mate a monogamous match that will last a year, through the brutal winter and into the spring. During that time, the mother will birth an egg and then leave for the ocean to feed again. The father will stay to protect the egg through the freezing blizzards and pure darkness of winter, which would be deadly to practically any other species. Finally, with spring, the egg hatches and the baby penguins are born. Mothers return from the sea to reunite with their families and feed the starving newborns, while the fathers are finally relieved of their protective duties after months without food. The film is remarkable in its story, which is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose dignified voice gives the penguins the grave admiration they deserve. But even more incredible is its photography, which shows the penguins hunting underwater, sliding on the ice, and in the midst of kissing. At one point the camera even zooms inside the mouth of a penguin as it regurgitates for its young. A story of love and more strikingly, survival, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS is any eye-opening and educational experience.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on May 16, 2006 8:43 AM

This is a wonderful true - life tale of one of the most resilient creatures on this planet . The formidable Emperor penguin , every
year makes an astonishing journey to breed their young . In their
thousands , these aquatic animals strange though it seems do not
swim to their destination , and even though they are birds , they do not fly either . Instead they walk in single file 70 miles into the darkest , driest and coldest continents on Earth . Narrated by Morgan
Freeman , March Of The Penguins is an amazing , breathtaking and
sometimes touching and staggering true - life tale of love and deep
devotion .

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March of the Penguinsinstantly qualifies as a wildlife classic, taking its place among other extraordinary films like Microcosmosand Winged Migration.

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 Penguinsremains 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

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Of Penguins And Men Featurette, National Geographics Crittercam Emperor Penguins Featurette, 8 Ball Bunny Cartoon, Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2005
Release Date:	May 8, 2006
Runtime:	77 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 073657
Keywords:	World, Birds, Living, Universe, March, Penguins, Fowl
Genre:	Living World/Universe