Jean Reno forges a bond with a penguin named DinDim in this touching family film
If there's one truism in life that can never be overstated, it's that kids are tougher than you think. The whole wiki of memes about how Gen X grew up the way they did because they watchedIt's OK for kids’ films to talk about death and pain, as long as the story balances the darkest parts of life with hope, love, and joy. So it's OK thatbegins with a moment of almost impossible pain, when João , a fisherman in a remote coastal village in Brazil, loses his son in a storm.
So where is the counterbalance? It comes after another tragedy, this time seen from the perspective of a penguin, setting off from the beach with all the other migrating aquatic fowl. Covered in oil from a maritime spill and almost dead, he is rescued by João, and they become lifelong friends. If this story sounds familiar, it's probably because you read about it on some feel-good website, or maybe you bought the illustrated booktakes a few liberties but the underlying story – that, for a decade, the penguin dubbed DinDim would return to stay with João before migrating the 5,000 miles to Patagonia for breeding season – is absolutely true.
All the standard moments of such feel-good animal films are there – a penguin’s eye view of the town, DinDim causing adorable chaos, and, of course, the implicit environmentalism. What’s fascinating is how the filmmakers don’t make it a Big Problem that’s too much for anyone to even contemplate tackling. The oil spill that nearly kills DinDim isn’t a-scale catastrophe, but a small fishing boat with a leaky engine. João helps DinDim with some food and dish soap.
Just as the script keeps DinDim a bird, so the humanity of João is perfectly fleshed out. There’s a wonderful understatedness to Reno as the heartbroken fisherman. In less subtle hands, he would just be that most burnt-out of stereotypes, the heartbroken old loner who learns to love again because of a cute critter.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Exclusive My Penguin Friend Clip Previews Emotional Movie About a Lost PenguinComingSoon is debuting an exclusive My Penguin Friend clip, previewing the upcoming feel-good film about a lost penguin.
Read more »
Movie review: 'Twisters' whips up a lot of movie excitementMovie critic Bruce Miller says 'Twisters' whips up plenty of action to be one of the best movies this summer.
Read more »
Penguin wing fossil shows importance of Zealandia in penguin evolutionThree small fossil penguin bones, collected in South Canterbury in 1987, are now shedding new light on how penguin wings have evolved. A new study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, describes a new species of penguin that lived in Otago about 24 million years ago.
Read more »
‘My Penguin Friend’ hits theaters, counts San Diego biotech CEO among its producersDebuting in theaters Aug. 16 and scheduled for wider distribution to global audiences soon after, the film features international stars Jean Reno and Adriana Barraza among its cast and Carmel Valle…
Read more »
Engadget Podcast: Samsung Galaxy Ring review, EFF on KOSA, and another AI “Friend”Devindra has been writing about the way technology intersects with our lives for nearly 20 years. He started the Amherst Student's first technology column, worked in IT support for many (many) years, and eventually moved to Brooklyn to cover New York's tech scene in 2009.
Read more »
Asus ROG Ally X Review: You’ve Got a Friend in MeThe $800 Asus ROG Ally X is one of the most expensive gaming handhelds. It's also one of the best you can buy right now.
Read more »