March Of The Penguins 2005

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Even if you have somehow managed to resist penguin charm or never given them a second thought, March will leave you amazed at the nobility of the human -- I mean, animal -- spirit. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: It's not a stretch to say these penguins experience recognizable emotions such as grief, jealousy, pride and plain old romance. Who knew? Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: Packed with more romance and nail-biting adventure than a summer of tent-pole movies. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Watch them march to the very extremes of extremis, though, and it's easy to feel awe. Life must beget life, whatever the cost. Read more

Misha Berson, Seattle Times: Mostly upbeat, visually stunning and in awe of the resiliency and loyalty of its subjects. Read more

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: It instills a deep reverence for the unforgiving power of nature and the stubborn resilience of life. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: This has the look and feel of a top-notch special on cable, but not a feature film. I can't recommend that viewers spend nine or ten bucks on something that will play perfectly well eventually on TV. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: March of the Penguins is an astonishing and irresistible documentary set in the frozen no-man's-land of Antarctica. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: The glacially beautiful new documentary March Of The Penguins confirms that no computer-animated or hand-drawn penguin could ever match the curious majesty of the genuine article. Read more

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: Everything a nature film should be: breathtaking, heartbreaking, soul-inspiring. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Kids might blanch at some of the more upsetting images, but ultimately the movie will delight and uplift more families than it will scare. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Some of the eggs and chicks freeze, and the parents' cries are painful to hear (probably more for us than for them). Read more

Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: It's an incredible tale of ritual and perseverance, both for the emperor penguin and the untouched land, sparkling white and aqua, pristine and brutal. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: A rousing affirmation of nature's brilliance in the face of environmental challenge. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: A brilliant tour of nature at its most unnervingly beautiful. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Luc Jacquet's exquisitely shot eye-of-God study of a year in the lives of these distinctive birds is a nature film built with a feel for the epic and a love of operatic narrative. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: The cinematography is exquisite, especially the long, lingering looks at Antarctica -- a splendidly desolate stretch of land rarely seen by human eyes. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Beautifully shot film. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Jacquet has made a film possessed of an intimacy that seems unfilmable. Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek: This astonishing film, shot in the Antarctic, captures sights never seen before. Read more

David Denby, New Yorker: A perfect family movie, a perfect date movie, and one of the most eye-ravishing documentaries ever made. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's an amazing story, and director Luc Jacquet brings it to the screen in astonishing close-up Read more

David Edelstein, NPR's Fresh Air: The movie easily transcends the 'Isn't-that-amazing?' animal genre. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: You'd have to be inhuman not to adore March of the Penguins. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: A fascinating insight into a species about which we know little that is loving, compassionate and unforgettable. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: A remarkable, eye-popping nature documentary. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: It's impossible to watch the emperor penguins in Luc Jacquet's sentimental but riveting documentary without feeling a tug of anthropomorphic kinship. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Mr. Jacquet's magnificent exploration of the tortured life-and-love cycle of the noble emperor penguin soars as one of the most passionate and perceptive expressions of interspecies empathy in the history of the cinema. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Yes, this is nature anthropomorphized. But after seeing this touching and beautiful film, you might not be so quick to dismiss that 'They're a lot like us' point of view. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: When I go to the movies, I expect to have an experience. This is just a TV show -- admittedly a quality one -- but a TV show nonetheless. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: When they fall over, they do it with a remarkable lack of style. And for all the walking they do, they're ungainly waddlers. Yet they are perfect in their way, with sleek coats, grace in the water and heroic determination. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: There's more drama, and more heartbreak, in March of the Penguins than in most movies that are actually scripted to tug at our feelings. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The cuteness rating of the subjects of this documentary is off the charts. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "March of the Penguins" is exquisite to behold, but what makes this a truly great film is its emotional impact. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Through the narration and editing that emphasizes the human-like behaviour of the penguins, March of the Penguins sets up sentimental expectations that are abruptly undermined by scenes of nature's brutality. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Children will love it, and parents will feel inclined to never again complain about such minor human complaints as 2 a.m. feedings, messy bedrooms or purloined car keys. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: A gentle film about somewhat alien beings, who entertain us by creating instead of destroying. Read more

Nick Funnell, Time Out: Morgan Freeman's slick voice-over compounds a slightly plodding structure, but the dedication of the penguins -- and the cameramen -- assure your wonderment. Read more

Damon Smith, Time Out: Birth, death, romance, danger: All play a role in Jacquet's homage to a remarkably endearing creature. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: French director Luc Jacquet and a team of incredibly brave (and heavily bundled) documentary filmmakers captured this complicated mating ritual with strikingly crisp photography that's both grand and intimate. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: March of the Penguins captivates with its straightforward but powerful story of dogged determination, survival against harsh odds and sacrifice. Read more

Joe Leydon, Variety: [The] spirit-lifting finale will delight auds hearty enough to brave the journey. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: The Central Park Zoo is cheaper, you can walk away from the penguins after 10 minutes, and it has snow monkeys and beer. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: A delightful, wholesome experience for the family. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Jacquet has made an absorbing, visually spectacular film. Read more