Mr. Popper's Penguins

Is it just me or are penguins really popular at the moment. Hollywood seems to have finally discovered these cute feathered creatures and make movies about them.

Films based on thin children's books, to me, would be very hard to adapt. You have to basically create a story line that can sustain an audience for feature length. It all comes down to the type of director and writer you use. A couple of years ago daring director Spike Jones turned children's book 'Where The Wild Things Are' into a very daring film. Now plain director Mark Waters has turned this children's book into a plain film. This is an ordinary film with a plot that we have seen numerous times before and with not any original ideas. A workaholic father who learns to make time for his family is not new and seems to be a more popular theme these days. Add into that a teenager who he can't talk to and you have a very bland film. There is even the constant use of fart and poo jokes. Obviously the film is aimed at a very young audience who is not that discerning and so complex plots are not what they look for. And that is fine. But you do want a little more to help make it appealing for the adults who will be taking their kids to see the film.

I am a big fan of Jim Carrey. I have long admired him and his work. I admit that not all his films have been brilliant, but I do think he is an excellent comedic performer. It disappoints me that he has not really been able to make the leap into dramatic performance all that successfully. He has not been in many films lately and some that he has have not been good. I do have a great deal of respect for him doing 'I Love You Phillip Morris' as that is a very bold move for a mainstream actor to do. Here he gives a typical performance but we do get to see some glimmers of his brilliance. Sadly not enough to make the film great. The support cast don't do much. That has more to do with their roles and lack of depth to them. However it is always nice to see Angela Lansbury in a film.

I'm probably not the intended audience for a film like this. It is squarely aimed at young kids who are not too fussy.