Mr Poppers Penguin (Cinema Visit)

• Genre: Comedy, Family
• Film running length: 94 min
  (excl trailers and advertisements)
• UK release date: 5/8/2011
• Directed by: Mark Waters
• Country: United States
• Language: English
• Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Co

Who´s in it?
Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury

What´s the plot?

Until he shared his New York penthouse with 6 penguins, Mr. Popper led a simple life. He went to work, he made good money, he knew of nothing more.

But as he swaps his home for a winter wonderland, Popper’s life turns upside-down. He warms to his frosty new friends. He enjoys his everyday chores of preparing sushi for seven while wearing gloves. But in these snowy square feet of Manhattan, it doesn’t take long before the cracks start to show.

Filmed almost entirely in refrigeration, ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ is Carey comedy genius at its very best.

Jim Carrey is not one of my favorite actors, however the chance to see lots of cute penguins on screen swayed my decision to go to an exclusive advance screening of Mr Poppers Penguin at Merryhill Odeon Cinema.


When I think of Jim Carrey, I think Ace Ventura Pet Detective, The Mask or Liar Liar, where Jim Carrey appears to have  a rubber face, pulling funny faces or expressions, and there is a simple storyline throughout the film. However, Mr Popper's Penguin sees Carrey as having grown up - he looks suave and quite gorgeous in his suits that he wears for most of the film and pulls very few weird faces. The penguins are all cute and provide many laughs throughout the film.


The film's storyline is very simple, doesn't take much to follow and was easy to pick up again after the many toilet breaks young children seem to need throughout the film.! Mr Popper's father was an explorer who visited far away lands, following his death he left his son, Mr Popper, a penguin in his will. Mr Popper has two children who live with his ex-wife and do not like having weekends at his apartment until the penguin appears and Mr Popper gives the penguin to his son for his birthday, promising him it will live at his apartment. Mr Popper is also a successful businessman, who, before he can become a partner must buy a property that the owner does not want to sell, a restaurant where Popper used to go with his father. However, Mr Popper must change the owners mind and convince his prospective partners that he is not going mad when they spring a surprise visit to Popper's apartment and meet his pets.


There are funny parts to the film, all including the penguins - although there is also quite a bit of penguin poo about too!  Captain escaping the zoo keepers with the kite is great as are the penguins swimming in Popper's flooded bathroom behind a glass door to name just a few. I also loved Popper's assistant - who knew you could get so many words beginning with P into a sentence.


In summary, if you want to take the kids to see a film over the summer that will make them laugh, this is the film. There is humour on their level as well as an adults level. The storyline isn't great but the cute penguins make up for that.


Thank you to @Merryhillcentre (on twitter) for the competition win of 4 tickets to an exclusive advance screening of Mr Popper Penguins.