I really enjoy the movie March of the Penguins last Saturday. Although the movie is labeled as a documentary, I prefer to call it an inspiring, heart-warming, and heartbreaking drama of love against all odds. Watch as the Emperor Penguins walk 70 miles inland in frigid -30F temperature to procreate. But the mating ritual is the easy part. Once the female lays her eggs, she transfers the egg to the male for stewardship before marching back to the sea to feed. The father remains at the breeding ground and is given the responsibility of looking after the egg. For the next 3 months, these male penguins will go without food and brave the harshest winter on Earth with temperature dropping down to -80F and with winds reaching hurricane level of 100 mph. Nonetheless, the community of penguins will collectively do whatever it takes to survive the harsh winter by huddling together for warmth while tending the egg within their pouches. There are heartbreaking scenes in the movie where the parent penguins watch their young ones confront the perils of the weather and of predators. On the other hand, the movie is a powerful movie given the penguins' defiance to the cold and their love for their young ones. Just earlier today, I was complaining about winter while walking home in 35F and 10mph winds. If I only have even a quarter of their resilience, I would be satisfied. So don't think of penguins as cute, little creatures. They deserve more respect for their resilience. I give this movie an 85% rating.

12/12/2005 11:56:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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