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March of the Penguins

Play trailer Poster for March of the Penguins G 2005 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 181 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
At the end of each Antarctic summer, the emperor penguins of the South Pole journey to their traditional breeding grounds in a fascinating mating ritual that is captured in this documentary by intrepid filmmaker Luc Jacquet. The journey across frozen tundra proves to be the simplest part of the ritual, as after the egg is hatched, the female must delicately transfer it to the male and make her way back to the distant sea to nourish herself and bring back food to her newborn chick.
March of the Penguins

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Only the most hardened soul won't be moved by this heartwarming doc.

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Critics Reviews

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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. Aug 5, 2013 Full Review 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). Aug 5, 2013 Full Review 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. Aug 5, 2013 Full Review Michael Clark Epoch Times Because of the cute factor, superb narrative choices, and stupendous photography, family audiences quickly forget they’re watching “artsy documentaries.” Rated: 4.5/5 Sep 2, 2024 Full Review Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film March of the Penguins is a magnificently-shot documentary, which is full of wonder, showcasing some of the most remarkable animals on Earth that have a truly unique relationship with their environment. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 4, 2024 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens With sparse narration by Morgan Freeman, written by Jordan Roberts, and beauteous orchestrations led by conductor Jeff Schindler, Jacquet lets the magic of the penguins speak for itself. Nov 13, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pantera O "This is a story about love" Los pingüinos realizan una travesía por su supervivencia. Increíble. Espectacular. Memorable. Imágenes únicas de la increíble vjda de los pingüinos, con la narración ze Morgan Freeman. Utiliza el montaje y sonido para manipular la documentación, añadiendole dramatizmo a la narración. La maravilla de la naturaleza. Nos revela la hazaña de los pingüinos, y su comportamiento social, dejando maravillado a quien lo vea. Extraño ser un niño. ¿Que estas dispuesto a hacer por amor? Los vida de un pingüino es ruda. Técnica: 9.4 Expresión: 6.8 Efecto: 8.2 Experiencia: 7.6 Calificación: 8.0/10 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/08/24 Full Review Shioka O Wonderful documentation. Such an adorable and noble animal emperor penguin is. Dramatic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Thomas M The best documentary movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/26/22 Full Review Tony S Touching and beautiful showcase of an annual cycle of some the most unique animals on the planet. With their elaborate quirks and ability to adapt. And although you never see them, aside from the credits, the filming crew must be commended for sticking with them, it's really hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to film this ritual, in the weather, where even some of the penguins give out. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/05/21 Full Review Audience Member At best, it's nothing you cannot see on a typical PBS special, except on big screen. And as other critics have pointed out, the narration anthropomorphizes the penguins and compares them to humans, what with the romance between Mommy and Daddy and having to watch out for the villainous seals. Yes, animals have thoughts and emotions, but they are not humans. A more scientifically-based narration would have made a much better movie. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member March Of The Penguins is a very interesting documentary about how the penguins look after their chicks, how they survive the very cold weather and how they try to keep their chicks away from the other mammals. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
March of the Penguins

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Cast & Crew

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Luc Jacquet

Director

Morgan Freeman

Narrator

Jordan Roberts

Writer

Yves Darondeau

Producer

Christophe Lioud

Producer

Emmanuel Priou

Producer

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March of the Penguins

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Movie Info

Synopsis At the end of each Antarctic summer, the emperor penguins of the South Pole journey to their traditional breeding grounds in a fascinating mating ritual that is captured in this documentary by intrepid filmmaker Luc Jacquet. The journey across frozen tundra proves to be the simplest part of the ritual, as after the egg is hatched, the female must delicately transfer it to the male and make her way back to the distant sea to nourish herself and bring back food to her newborn chick.
Director
Luc Jacquet
Producer
Yves Darondeau, Christophe Lioud, Emmanuel Priou
Screenwriter
Jordan Roberts
Distributor
Warner Independent, National Geographic
Production Co
Bonne Pioche Télévision, Buena Vista International [us]
Rating
G
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 24, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$77.4M
Runtime
1h 20m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)