La marcia dei pinguini - Il richiamo

With Morgan Freeman returning as the narrator, how could this film fail? It was surprising to find out that Disneynature had a hand in creating this film. Just too bad it didn't get a theatrical release in the U.S. Instead, it was a Hulu exclusive.

And furthermore, is not available on DVD in the United States as of this writing. That's too bad, because a great many people will miss this gem. If you have the means, try to get a copy of the region 2 DVD.

This second installment to the famous "March of the Penguins" focuses on the penguin chicks. The adorable creatures can melt a heart of stone - or ice.

At one point, a little chick tumbles on the ice in a hilarious, endearing way.

I was blown over by the way in which the camera captured the scenery, making every shot the best shot.

The work and effort that went into making this documentary cannot be overstated.

The camera not only captures amazing details, such as the penguin chick fluffy down and feathers, but also offers an eagle view of the multitudes of birds in the colony, and even under water action of staggering beauty.

The image of the sunset (or is it sunrise?) over the endless ice, for example, looks like a painting.

Most of the scenery is obviously something very few people will be able to experience in their lifetime.

Absolutely love the first 'March of the Penguins'. It is visually stunning, informative, cute, fun to watch, emotionally investable and with adorable without being too much so penguins. It does help if already a major fan of nature documentaries and if one has a lifelong adoration for penguins, both the case with me ('Pingu' plays a major role in my love for penguins). Hearing that there was a follow up, part of me was intrigued but part of me also thought "is this really necessary?"

'March of the Penguins 2', or 'L'Empereur' was a worthwhile watch and is recommended. Am not raving about it but liked it just about enough. It doesn't disgrace 'March of the Penguins' at all and has a lot of its great things, though it doesn't have the same amount of charm and magic and in a way it wasn't really needed. Morgan Freeman returning was a very good move and the right one, genius really and it would not have worked as well with somebody else.

Shall start with what 'March of the Penguins 2' does well, which is a lot. It looks beautiful first and foremost. Especially the majestic scenery, that has sheer beauty and at times a suitably harsh atmosphere to show that such a beautiful environment is not all idyllic. The music has some playfulness, some lushness and some dramatic sweep, not feeling too intrusive which sometimes was the case with DisneyNature documentaries.

Furthermore, 'March of the Penguins 2' entertains and educates. Doing a great job with making the viewer relate to the penguins, the offspring being particularly adorable. While there are playful moments, a good deal of the journey/story is poignant. Freeman is a perfect choice for narrator, and he brings booming gravitas and subtlety to the nice mix of facts and human-like story.

Will agree though that some of the material did feel a bit too derivative from looking as if it was lifted from elsewhere or too similar to footage in the first and at times repetitive from lacking sometimes variety.

There are times too when the cuteness early on is a little overkill. Other documentaries have information that is more illuminating and that is fresher, which added to the derivative feel.

Overall, not great but very worthwhile. 7/10.