Both these films are "road pictures" of a sort. In the one out in theaters, thousands of penguins brave all kinds of obstacles to have children, and in our rental queue, we've got the tale of dog and a cat who take a much longer trip than they ever intended.
In terms of full disclosure, I have to say that The March of the Penguins owes much of its success to a friend of mine, Steven Friedlander, who is the executive vice-president of distribution at Warner Independent films, the company behind this runaway success. Steven's the guy who first saw a French documentary about penguins with bad techno-pop music, sub-titles and three different voices and still said, "Let's buy this." If they haven't given him a big raise, they ought to. In case you haven't heard, it's the story of the phenomenally difficult path that penguins take to birth their young in the frigid ice of the South Pole -- and it's the most buzzed about movie in Hollywood these days.
"Eat your pre-digested fish like you're supposed to and someday you, too, can nearly freeze and starve to death just like me."
I've picked The Adventures of Milo and Otis for our showdown because that film, too, was not originally made for American audiences. It was originally made for Japanese TV under the title Koneko Monogatari and got its own similar Americanization. Since it's been a while -- here's the low-down. Milo is a kitten, Otis is a dog. When Milo gets into a small box with the intention of taking a trip down a river, Otis follows. En route, the stars encounter bad weather, life-threatening situations, and even potential mates. It's relentlessly cute and fun (or so I remember it).
Morgan Freeman (who will probably make more money per second for work performed on this film than anything else he's done in his life) stepped in to re-voice Penguins, a role that Dudley Moore performed in Milo. Granted, these films aren't really alike: Penguins is a documentary and Milo is a dramatic story told with animals in the lead roles.
The theater that my wife and I saw The March of the Penguins in was packed, testament to how this is the indie film that could. Maybe it was the crummy seats, or the big meal I had before sitting down to watch it, but I found my mind wandering over and over during this film, and nearly nodded off a couple of times. It's really fascinating material, yes, but it is easily grasped and our going-to-the-movies minds go a lot faster than waddling penguins do. Thinking back, when The Adventures of Milo and Otis was in the theaters, I had a three year old in my lap which pretty much negated the possiblity of a nap (for me, anyway).
Don't misunderstand. I love penguins. I had no clue whatsoever that they went through the sheer hell they have to in order to raise kids. So, in that respect, I feel like I have a lot in common with them. But 83 minutes of their challenge felt like a National Geographic Special that was padded. The photography is beautiful, the baby penguins are cute as, well, Milo and Otis, and it feels important, especially given that the polar ice caps are melting like a Slurpee on a hot August afternoon.
Still... I loved that dog and cat, and so did my toddler son. Their story may not have been true, but it was high adventure and not of the kind where babies freeze to death and are abandoned on the ice by their parents who need to top off their tanks with new fish. Let's face it: The March of the Penguins could be a great DVD rental within a few months.
Both of these films, candidly, are a cut above a lot of the sequels out there now. They've each got humanity (yes!) and emotion, and both are about finding your way despite the obstacles, doing the right thing even when it's hard. Still, the rules of "Movies-Squared" say there has to be a winner...
The March of the Penguins. Because the filmmakers were damn near as dedicated to this film as their subjects were to their children. It's called passion. That, plus I don't want Friedlander to stop taking my calls...
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Movies Squared (Two Reviews for the Price of One) is a companion blog to News Views & Schmooze.
To see more of these reviews based on comparing a film now out in the theaters with a similar one available to rent on DVD, please click here.
- Examples: "The Island -vs- The Sixth Day", "War of the Worlds -vs- Independence Day" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith -vs- The War of the Roses."
