March of the Penguins
Seen it?2005 | 80 min | Documentary, Family
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), it made about 16 times its budget and it won an Oscar. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for families and the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Feel-good, eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 20 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Every year, thousands of Antarctica's emperor penguins make an astonishing journey to breed their young. They walk, marching day and night in single file 70 miles into the darkest, driest and coldest continent on Earth. This amazing, true-life tale is touched with humour and alive with thrills. Breathtaking photography captures the transcendent beauty and staggering drama of devoted parent penguins who, in the fierce polar winter, take turns guarding their egg and trekking to the ocean in search of food. Predators hunt them, storms lash them. But the safety of their adorable chicks makes it all worthwhile. So follow the leader... to adventure!!
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature. Won 1 Critics' Choice Award: Critics' Choice Awards: Best Documentary Feature. Also nominated for 2 BAFTAs and 1 WGA Award. Plus 12 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerVery strong
$127 million worldwide on a $8 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 76K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Luc Jacquet
- Charles BerlingFather Penguin (voice)
- Romane BohringerMother Penguin (voice)
- Jules SitrukBaby Penguin (voice)
- Morgan FreemanNarrator