March of the Penguins (2005)

Director: Luc Jacquet

In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.

It might seem like a crazy idea to go to the Antarctic in well below freezing weather to document the 70-mile journey of Emperor Penguins to their breeding grounds. I’m glad someone came up with this crazy idea, and hats off to cinematographers Laurent Chalet and Jérôme Maison who were courageous enough to brave up to -60 Degrees to film this documentary.

The penguins walk the entire journey to their breeding grounds, where they are to meet their perfect partner, and start a family. ‘March of the Penguins’ takes the viewer on an incredible journey of survival, and love. It is funny, romantic, dramatic and suspenseful.

The comical penguins – looking like men in suits – had me smiling all the way. They are too precious! This is a beautifully filmed documentary, with stunning cinematography. I found the film informative, and fascinating. With so many obstacles along the way, I was glued to the screen. I didn’t blink unnecessarily for a second!

‘March of the Penguins’ has a good script, and is perfectly narrated by Morgan Freeman (oh, that instantly recognizable voice!). I absolutely LOVED this documentary film! Simply stunning! This is hands down one of the best documentaries I’ve seen.

‘March of the Penguins’ was a huge commercial success. At the box office, it earned $127.4 million on an $8 million budget. It received 37 award nominations, winning 22, including the Oscar for Best Documentary. Well deserved!

Would I watch it again? Yes, definitely!