Mr Popper's Penguins Movie Review from modmove

LAPDANCE LARRY

SEVENTIES SIMON

PHOTOGRAPHY

COMIC ART

INTERVIEWS

Sub-menu 1.2.1.1

FESTIVALS

EXHIBITIONS

Mr Popper's Penguins
I should probably disclose up front that I viewed Mr Popper's Penguins with my four-year old daughter and, as any parent knows, the enjoyment you detect in your offspring automatically increases your own enjoyment by a factor of approximately five. As a result, I can place my hand on my heart and honestly proclaim that I enjoyed Mr Popper's Penguins "very much". But even casting a critical eye over the film and not taking it too seriously (we must remember the movies target audience - which is my daughter, not me) there's still sufficient interest here to while away an hour and a bit without getting bored.

The films singular greatest delight is Pippi (Ophelia Lovibond), Mr Popper's pretty, peppy P.A. who possesses a penchant for superfluous alliteration. In what is one of the running jokes of the film, the fact that she doesn't even realise she does it just adds to the adult fun (the kiddies don't realise she's doing it either). As a bonus, Ophelia Lovibond also provides ample eye candy for the dads in the audience, as does perennial daddy favourite, Carla Gugino, as ex-Mrs popper. Jim Carrey thankfully winds back the ‘Carreyness’ in his performance to easily digestible chunks, allowing the charm of the titular flightless birds to share his spotlight.

The story consists of shrewd, New York real estate wheeler-dealer, Mr Popper (Jim Carrey), reconnecting with his estranged kids and wife through the conduit of the bequeathed penguins that invade his home. As serious as the subject of broken dysfunctional families is, none of it matters at all in a movie such as this where all that is really important is the cutesy penguinny antics. On this score, Mr Popper's Penguins delivers a slice of undemanding entertainment which is easy to enjoy; even more so if you have a little person to enjoy it with.
Stuart Jamieson
www.popperspenguins.com


also featured
CURRENT COMPETITIONS! Get the Gringo Competition Thanks to Icon Movies, we have ten in-season double passes to give away to Get the Gringo! Read more >> The Women in Black Administering the sale of a deceased estate for a law firm, widower Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers a town where the children are dropping like flies seemingly at the ghostly hands of a local vengeful spirit - the woman of the title. Read more >> Safe Is it safe yet? After a mixed season last year of too many films that had a social agenda, is it safe now to go back to the cinema for nothing more than just a good time? Read more >> The Avengers After years on the outer, never quite making the big time, Buffyverse creator and Toy Story scribe, Joss Whedon, has finally arrived. Read more >> Mirror Mirror Funny how time and again movies with similar themes or stories seem to hit the cinema around the same time, think Deep Impact/Armageddon or even Naked Lunch/Barton Fink, and it's happening again this year with (of all things) Snow White. Read more >> American Pie: Reunion vs. Battleship In a titanic struggle to capture the hearts, minds and disposable incomes of an ever-younger audience, two films line up to do battle for the crown in the great popcorn war of 2012. Read more >> 21 Jump Street Transforming a popular TV show into a mainstream movie is very seldom a successful endeavour. Read more >> John Carter The votes are in and the result is clear: Andrew Stanton is the dud director of Pixar. Read more >> The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel There is a common complaint among older moviegoers that the majority of releases today are tailored to a specific demographic and their group gets short shift. Read more >> Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close As a clear sufferer of Asperger Syndrome, Oskar (Thomas Horn) is not short of an anxiety or two or a measure of compulsiveness. Read more >> Contraband Contraband is a continuing response to the question of where does a superstar film career go when the matinee idol good looks start to fade? Read more >>


Stay up to date with modmove news
about modmove
What to know how we got started? Read more >>
read the modmove blog
Check out all the random stuff that didn't make it to the website! Read more >>
contact Us
If you have any queries or if you would like more information about modmove, we would love to hear from you! Read more >>
join our mailing list
subscribe to the mailing list and receive the modmove newsletter. Full Name Email Address Enter Word Verification in box below
search
search modmove for previous news and reviews.