Penguins Parent Guide

Penguins have long been a surefire winner at the box office. Films about these flightless seabirds range from the documentary March of the Penguins to the animated musical comedies like Happy Feet. Disneynature’s Penguins has found the sweet spot between the two. In this kid-friendly and parent-pleasing release, the directors have married documentary-style footage with a comical script to make an educational film that will have audiences laughing out loud.

The story focuses on Steve, a hapless but never hopeless Adélie penguin. Steve is running behind on the annual spring trek from Antarctica’s ice shelf to the rock-strewn mountains where his species mate and raise their chicks. Competition is fierce for the best nesting sites, although what makes any one site more desirable than another is far from obvious to a mere human viewer. Steve struggles to build a nest, getting struck by one penguin and having his carefully gathered rocks stolen by another. But eventually, his nest is complete and he manages to woo and win Adeline, who subsequently lays two eggs. The two penguins then face the arduous task of raising babies in the harshest environment on earth – and that’s just the summer.

Conservationists may disagree on the value of anthropomorphizing (giving human characteristics to animals) penguins. But there is no doubt that the script is what makes this movie stand out in the field of penguin documentaries. The filmmakers have taken amazing footage of penguins and then written an entertaining narrative around it. Ed Helms does a masterful job of both narrating the story and vocalizing Steve’s thoughts and dialogue. In Helms’ hands, Steve, constantly stumbling, slipping, falling behind, and getting lost, comes across as a loveable schmuck. Once the baby penguins hatch, he evolves into the stereotypical TV sitcom Dad – bemused, confused, and trying his inept best. There’s not much originality to the personality the writers have given Steve, but it works so well with the footage that it would be churlish to complain.

And there was precious little complaining in the screening I attended. The audience was laughing out loud at Steve’s pratfalls, and although America’s Funniest Home Videos has never been my idea of comedy, I even found myself chuckling at some of Steve’s more ridiculous tumbles. But what really got me laughing was the soundtrack. I’m not going to throw in any spoilers here, but the soundtrack for Steve and Adeline’s mating dance actually made me snort out loud.

Obviously, this film has very little for parents to worry about. There are some scenes of peril where South Polar Skua birds hunt baby penguins and where killer whales prowl the channels of open water seeking prey. And there is a terrifying moment where a leopard seal hunts Steve’s chicks. There is also a gross-out moment where one of the chicks vomits a full color splattery mess. But the G rating for this movie is well deserved and only the most sensitive of children will find anything upsetting here.

For everyone else, Penguins is a remarkable tribute to creatures who perform impossible feats in a climate so cold it scares me – and I have survived Canadian winters. Learning that a single journey to get food for the chicks could involve a 100 mile round trip for the parent was mind boggling. And then finding out that the chicks need enough food to quadruple their weight in a month puts the parents’ near impossible task in perspective. The other group performing an astounding feat is the camera crew. While watching the dazzling footage on the rocks, the ice shelf and underwater, I kept reminding myself that there were humans taking footage in this inhospitable climate and terrain. I am just grateful that their technical wizardry didn’t go so far as to project the nesting ground aroma into the theater. While I enjoy watching these waddling wonders, I have no desire to smell them.