That darn Penguin movie!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
That darn Penguin movie!
7
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 9:09am

A (childless) friend saw "March of the Penguins" and recommended it.

So we took the kids last night. Peter wanted to leave after te first egg froze. Siobhan sobbed inconsolably through most of the 2nd half. We stayed to the end. I was hoping for a happy ending, rather than leave at a low point and depress everyone. It only sort of worked.

Botom line: If your kid is in any way sensitive, don't see this movie!

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2005
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 9:39am

I am glad you posted this, because we were thinking about taking the kids to see it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 11:24am

Paula,

Nathan is really interested in seeing this movie too. He learned all about penguins in kindergarten, and got real excited when he saw this was coming out. He doesn't get emotional, but he does ask lots of questions about things he doesn't understand. Is it too boring for a 6yr old??? (an autie 6yr old, LOL) Hard to understand? Lots of talking?? He usually only likes cartoon like movies still.

Michelle

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 2:45pm

Poor, sweet (((Peter and Siobhan))).

~ Chelsea
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 4:03pm

Michelle,

It is a documentary, beautifully shot and narrated -no people at all. It is just footage of the Emperor penguins over a season; coming out of the water to walk (or slide) 70 miles to the breeding ground, breeding (tastfully shot) and taking care of their eggs and chicks during the very hostile Antartic winter. As such, penguins, chicks and eggs die! There is nothing graphic -no blood or gore, but my kids totally "got" the death part. The movie is not really aimed at young kids, IMO. My DH and I loved it -I guess we appreciated the camerawork and sacrifices which must have been involved to get the footage.

I don't know if Nathan will sit through it. He should have plenty of opportunities to have his questions answered, because there are pauses in the narration to just *watch* these gorgeous animals. If he really wants to see it, and you don't think he will get upset at the death, I think you should bring him along. He may surprise you! Worst case scenario; you'll have to leave early.

BTW, My kids are 5 & 7 and one is Aspie, the other Autie. They can sit through theatre movies pretty well. Also I should mention that Siobhan is supersensitive. She cries at "Pokemon Jiraci", and "Pokemon heroes". I have never dared allow her to watch Bambi!

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 4:12pm

WE saw it too.

Michelle, Dave fell asleep on it and it was all that helped him make it through. Cait thought it was really cute and would love to see it again, but animals are her obsession and well, animal death or death just doesn't bother Cait. She thinks it is cool that meat you eat used to be a cute animal.

Mike got really stimmy and had a very hard time getting through the movie. I am glad we got there late and were in the back row due to his bouncing. It was almost all elderly people and his bouncyness definitely would have drove most of them crazy and I would have felt bad. Emily thought it was sad and boring for the most part.

Fortunately, there were lots of references to penguins dying that were commentary only that Mike and Dave didn't pick up on and even Emily had to ask me about cause she didn't understand, but there were definitely a few scenes that were too much for little ones. I am so glad Dave was asleep during the sea lion scene. That was rather misleading that it was rated G. I don't want to give spoilers but there were definitely a couple things I thought could have been left out.

It was wonderful cinematography, and how the photographers got there and filmed it is amazing. The story of the emperor penguins is also amazing BUT..... I think particularly for kids it would have been better as a documentary on discovery channel with breaks when we could leave. I found by the end I definitely could have survived with it being a 1hour documentary with commercials rather than 1 1/2 in a theatre, but maybe that is because I was sitting next to bouncy boy with another sleeping on my lap.

Yeah, I would definitely say to be wary with small kids. The G rating is misleading definitely. I am not even sure that animal planet would show a couple things in particular that I am thinking of. The usually skip over it and let you assume that the animal has died or say it not show it. Of course, my husband thought it was great. Not the typical kid movie.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 08-14-2005 - 10:25am

Spoiler alert for those who want to see the movie and not know what is in it. Don't read on.

Well, no blood and gore Paula, but you did see one momma penguin get caught by the seal after a bit of a scene with the seal chasing the penguins with the naration that it took 2 lives. The mother and the baby who wouldn't get fed. And you watched the seal swim off with the penguin in mouth. There was also when the baby penguin died after the storm and the mother or father (I can't remember which) stood there poking at it trying to get it to wake up. Other visions of frozen, dead penguins and lots of narration about how many that die. Right, nothing graphic or untrue, but still I thought a little much for little guys on the big screen since it is so real. Didn't bother Cait in the slightest. It did bother Emily and Dave though. Even Mike made lots of comments on it afterward and seemed disturbed. He needed to rationalize it all the way out.

THis is a kid who cried over a year after attending a funeral for an elderly great aunt he had barely met once.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 08-14-2005 - 11:19am

I was looking at teh commericals of this movie-as my 3.5 yo was imatating walking like a pengiun saying "March like a Pengiun". And Jake said MOm that's a documentary about pengiuns. He really likes animal documentaries. He likes to watch animal planet-especially retiles shows. I don't think we will be viewing this movie as I don't deal with "life cycles" in reality very well-I chose not to think about that. I can't even watch Bambi without totally losing it. I haven't seen it since I was about 3or4-don't watch Dumbo either. I'm so sensitive-dh calls me soft hearted.

Liza