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Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

If this weren't a true nature story, I don't think you would be able to make it up and have anyone believe you. What the Emperor Penguin goes through for the sake of keeping the species alive is nothing short of extraordinary. Virtually every revelation about their habits is astounding and almost too numerous to mention. A seventy mile hike to their breeding grounds in the Antarctic is just the beginning of their amazing adventure, as narrator Morgan Freeman takes the viewer through the penguins' mating ritual, the competition between females for the male's attention, how they maintain some semblance of warmth in sub-freezing temperatures, the transference of eggs from the female to the male to keep them safe, and the eventual birth of the chicks. It's astounding that the parent birds go for months at a time without food during this ordeal, compounded by the harsh reality of retracing their long march to feed and bring food back for the baby penguins.As I'm usually curious about what negative reviewers have to say, (because there's always someone), I guess I can sympathize with those who say they found this documentary boring. It does move slow at times, but I fail to understand why anyone wouldn't find the subject matter fascinating. It's not like the eighty minute run time intrudes on one's life to such a degree that one can't pay attention. I did find a particular scene that came across as kind of comical to me. It was a specific shot of the massive penguin colony huddled together against the cold, and the way the camera caught them in the sunlight with their blue-gray backs and distinct body markings, it looked like a stadium full of Navy cadets assembled for a football game!

Wonderful documentary.The telling of how emperor penguins in the Antarctic travel a vast distance to mate and how the parents then have to endure the harshest conditions on Earth to ensure their offspring are born, survive and thrive. A story of life, survival, and regeneration. Incredible footage. Some amazing camera placements and angles. There could not have been a manned camera in some of the spots, so passive cameras were used. Very ingenious placement at times.Then, of course, there is the narration. Nobody could have done it better than Morgan Freeman. Such gravitas and feeling.A great reminder of the wonder of nature, and the struggles that some species undergo to survive and grow.

Here is a simple documentary about birds living in the harshest environment on Earth, with never so much as a tree or a cave for shelter.They march 70 miles for food, risk getting eaten by sea lions, and huddle together in 80-below temperatures amid lashing winds -- all to give birth to fuzzy gray chicks that will grow up to repeat the cycle.From a distance, penguins look startlingly like people against the backdrop of this frigid no-man's land. Their movements are often endearing, and one quickly grasps the inspiration for cartoons like "Happy Feet." I watched this with my 11-year-old son, who particularly enjoyed the penguins' beguilingly adorable offspring. (When their tummies are full, there's nothing cuter!)Many countries have research stations way, WAY down under, but we are given no sense of where they are in relation to these throngs of loud-mouthed waddlers. A map would have been appreciated, and I'd have liked to learn a little more about these stomach sledders -- about their numbers, their varieties, and why the South Pole region is their one and only habitat. While this film can be visually dazzling, the audience's other senses are mostly neglected. On a recent trip to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, my kids and I noticed a stench while viewing a couple of penguins in their outdoor pen. Antarctica's throngs must truly reek but nothing is said of that. We do learn a little about how bird calls help the seemingly identical penguins to tell each other apart. In addition, predators get mention but aren't really described. In one instance, an awkward seagull-like creature seems to capture a straying chick. Does it actually kill the unfortunate fuzz ball? We never know. And while we get many glimpses of dripping ice, global warming and its impact on penguin culture gain nary a mention. In all, a little more information would have improved this admirable effort considerably.

The March of the Penguins is an Academy Award winning documentary that tracks the voyage of the Emperor Penguin as they make their way to and from the ocean to their breeding ground. It is a remarkable tale of the continuation of a species. A theme throughout the film is that of the awe inspiring love of a parent to a child. No matter the species, the gift of life is a marvel and a thing to be cherished. The Emperor Penguins go through great trials in order to bring about the hatching of their young. They must travel many miles in harsh conditions to reach the breeding ground where they can safely lay their single egg. The father penguins must survive months with no food, huddled together to provide warmth to each other and protection to their eggs. Each father is responsible for the egg he harbors on his feet, beneath a fold of warm skin, while the mothers must make the trek back to the ocean in order to feed themselves and bring food back for their babies. The penguins must struggle against the elements, predators, and starvation. They struggle through these things, all in the hopes of a successful hatching.Morgan Freeman is the only human voice heard throughout the duration of the film. He expertly provides the narration needed to understand the movements of the penguins, and assists the viewer in understanding the harshness of Antarctica and the trials that the penguins go through. He provides interesting facts and details about Emperor Penguins that create a bond with the penguins, such as the fact that Emperor Penguins are monogamous, but only for the season. The March of the Penguins is similar to the 2007 documentary Artic Tale. Both movies focus of the lives of animal parents and their young as they struggle to live in the coldest parts of the world. Both show the trials that the animals face to ensure their survival and the possibility of future generations.The voyage of the penguins comes alive with the capabilities of the camera crew. Much of the film is shot from a subjective, eye level height. This really lets the viewer feel like they are in with the penguins and experiencing the harshness of the weather and the joy of the eggs hatching. Often, the camera zooms in on the penguins so the viewer can appreciate the beauty of the penguins and their surroundings. The camera takes a different angle when the long journey to and from the breeding ground is shown. In this case, it's more of an objective view looking down of the penguins as they make their single file march. The view scans out to see the vastness of the icy landscape and the extreme distance they must travel, all in order to create a new generation.Sound is also a key technique in establishing the bond between parent penguins and their young chicks. Before the father penguins leave the young chicks in their mother's care to head back to the ocean to feed after a four month fast, they sing to their babies and their babies sing back to them. This is the only way that they will recognize each other upon the father's return. It is amazing upon the fathers return, that through the chaos of all the penguins singing that each father can find what he is looking for, his chick. In the coldest place on earth, life remains. The Emperor Penguins continue to struggle and survive in order to create the greatest joy in life, a new life. Everything they do is for the benefit of their young chick. A parent's love can withstand harsh weather, fierce predators, and stress to their bodies in order to create a future for their children. The cycle of life continues.