7 out of 10
 

Life Cycle of the Emperor Penguin

Documentaries have moved from being something shown in a few theatres to getting red carpet galas. They aren't the prescripted Hollywood fare but something that can be entertaining and educational.

March of the Penguins (Marche de l'Empereur) follows the life cycle of the Emperor penguin. We meet them as they prepare to travel a great distance to their mating ground where they lay the eggs. The females then depart and the males are left to defend the eggs against the bitter cold and snow. If the male is lucky, the female returns with food for both them and the hatched young penguin. They then travel back to ocean and the grounds they are used to until next year when the cycle begins again.

In order to watch this film you must really like penguins. It is totally fascinating how they travel their great distances and how they protect their young. But if you are expecting excitement and action, you will be disappointed. The visuals are great but after the first half hour or so the vast plains of ice and snow tend to get dull. Morgan Freeman's narration is contains lots of interesting facts about the penguins and their habits without interfering with visuals.

Penguins as interesting as they can be, but they can be aren't exactly the most entertaining of animal. But you enjoy a good nature documentary; March of the Penguins is for you.