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PENGUINS (2019)

This adorable film is the fourteenth Disneynature documentary and follows the parenting adventures of an Adélie penguin named Steve. He lives in the icy Antarctic where he finds a life partner and starts a family. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, Penguins is a great mix of documentary and storytelling. It is educational and funny, and a great family movie about these pretty creatures who are also gracious and noble animals.

The visuals are stunning. The camera follows Steve before his baby penguins are born and shows how male penguins are key in taking care of their babies. Steve takes turns with mama penguin to hatch eggs, and this is an example of great parenting. Once babies are born, he feeds them and teaches them how to survive.

The cinematography by Rolf Steinmann creates a fascinating journey captured by a very creative and professional crew of nature lovers. There are underwater scenes as well.

I love the scenes where we discover the process of baby penguins turning into adults; not just for the changes in how they are fed, but also for everything the babies have to face going into adulthood.

Other important characters are killer whales and leopard seals. They are beautiful creatures but represent big danger for the small, clumsy penguins.

I love the humor in this film. The narration by Ed Helms makes this film entertaining and funny while providing a lot of information. Is not overwhelming or extremely scientific; instead, it is an engaging comedy, fueled with relevant and interesting information about animals, survival and nature.

The message of the film is that parenthood is a shared responsibility. I recommend Penguins for ages 4 to 16. Penguins opened nationwide on April 17, 2019 -- seeing it is a great way to celebrate Earth Day. Disneynature was announced on April 21, 2008, a day before Earth Day and its films make a wonderful contribution of films teaching us about the planet we live on.

Reviewed by Zoe C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10

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Disneynature's all-new feature film "Penguins" is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he's targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after. From the filmmaking team behind "Bears" and "Chimpanzee," Disneynature's "Penguins" opens in theaters nationwide in time for Earth Day 2019.