Consider this the biggest ornithological misappropriation since Little Richard accused Walt Disney of using, “his Donald Duck singing my ‘Tutti Frutti’… yet I never received a quarter.” It’s March of the Penguins with Ed Helms’ anthropomorphic asides substituting for Morgan Freeman’s “voice of God” narration. I’m all for Disney trying to cultivate an appreciation among young moviegoers of documentary filmmaking as an alternative to mainstream cinema. But tack on a laugh-track, and this could pass for a network sitcom. A post-show blooper reel that shows the crew interacting up close and personal with their stars proved to be a fourth wall-shattering experience. (Did they invite the adorable adelie to sleep in their tents during the more frigid nights of their brutal trek?) That said, while I waxed nostalgic for Chilly Willy, the four kids who accompanied me couldn’t stop raving about it on the ride home. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson. (2019) — Scott Marks
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