Review of film: “MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS”

2011, 06-11:

 

Review of film:  “MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS”

 

It was a book (which came out in 1938), & now it’s a MOVIE, combining live action with ANIMATION...

...  As the movie version starts, young Tommy Popper (DYLAN CLARK MARSHALL) is a pre-teen kid whose father is almost always off TRAVELING around the world...  The dad calls him periodically, but he’s seldom home for Tommy’s BIRTHDAYS, which hurts the kid inside...

...  When we finally meet adult Tom (JIM CARREY), he’s a highly-successful REAL ESTATE man who’s divorced from his wife Amanda (CARLA GUGINO) & shares custody with her for their 2 kids, Janie (MADELINE CARROLL) & Billy (MAXWELL PERRY COTTON)...

...  Sort of like in his own earlier life, Jim seldom spends quality TIME with his 2 kids, which upsets them a good deal (especially Maxwell)... 

...  Jime seems to be “wrapped-up” in just his real-estate deals, in which he’s supported by his assistant Pippy (OPHELIA LOVIBOND) who likes speaking words beginning with the letter “P”...

...  Jim’s main current “project” is to try to join a prestigious Real Estate firm (headed by PHILIP BAKER HALL).  Philip wants him to buy New York’s iconic Tavern On The Green restaurant so he can redevelop the property into a bigger money-maker...

...  To do that, Jim needs to convince its feisty owner Mrs. Van Gundy (ANGELA LANSBURY) to sell, & she’s very RELUCTANT to do that & keeps “putting-off” Jim’s entreaties...   

...  Around this time, Jim’s father dies, & (as I understand it) arranges to have him sent him a final “gift” from his will...  That gift turns out to be a live Gentoo PENGUIN...  The bird is noisy, regularly provides him with streams of penguin poop, & Jim wants to get RID of the creature...

...  But, when he calls a friend to get a replacement wooden crate to send the bird BACK to the Antarctic area, the guy MISUNDERSTANDS his wishes--  & instead sends him a crate with 5 MORE penguins!... 

...  Partly rfom how they “behave” (or DON’T really behave!), they’re eventually named Nimrod (the klutzy one who keeps bumping into things), Stinky, Captain (who screeches a lot), Loudy (who squawks stridently), Bitey (who tends to peck people when displeased), & Lovey...

...  The flightless wonders tend to cause a good deal of mayhem, following him around such as to an event Angela is holding at the Guggenheim Museum... 

...  Just as he’s preparing to try to send the birds AWAY, his KIDS come over for a visit.  Since it’s the son’s birthday & he (just like his own father) hasn’t gotten any GIFT for him, when the son is thrilled seeing the penguins & thinks they’re his “BIRTHDAY” present from his dad, Jim reluctantly says, oh, yes, those ARE his “gift”!...

...  Jim has to keep the birds at his place, & that involves having to pay off the doorman to keep QUIET about his having the unallowed pets, & seeks ways to keep them hidden from a “complainer” neighbor...

...  From Jim’s previous efforts to try to get RID of the cute-but-bothersome birds, a guy Rick (JAMES TUPPER) from the City ZOO keeps trying to GET the penguins away from him (for his own secret “agenda”, tho he tries to convince Jim it’s for the sake of the birds)...

...  As the penguins require more & more “attention”, Jim finds himself in the position of letting SNOW into his apartment so they feel more “comfortable” there...

...  Will Jim be able to “handle” the birds (including the BABIES which are born)?...  Will the Zoo guy be able to GET the penguins by “force” as he’s tried to do?...  How will the KIDS react to all that?... 

...  What will Angela do about selling her restaurant to Jim’s group?...  What will all that do to Jim’s LIFE with his kids?... 

        

...  Before the movie, a friend commented, he wishes Jim Carrey would “return” to the “OLD” type movies he used to do (the “extreme” comedies rather than the “serious” roles)...  Well, my friend got his “WISH”:  Carrey frequently revisits his old “Ace Ventura”-like “MUGGING” self in this!...

...  Because of the character & plot set-up, the mugging “FITS-in” here rather than being really “distracting” (since his role is “far-out” & “nutty” to begin with)...  There were lots of little KIDS in the audience, & they got a big kick out of the nuttiness & the penguin-“antics” & all...

...  You’ve got your “good guys”, you’ve got your “bad guys”, you’ve got your genial “silliness”, & thus you tend to ENJOY the “Birds of a feather” in the way they “FLOCK TOGETHER” as the story “flies” off!...  (It’s also a pleasure to see nearly 86-year-old Angela crisply working in a film again!)...

...  The combination of live with “special-effects” animated penguins works comparatively “SEEMLESSLY” & well...   

  

...  Thus, since the film was FUN (especially for Carrey-lovers, even if not so much for some teen-agers who seemed to find it just “OK”), I’m rating it as 7.5 out of 10 stars...

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