I wanna hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do…. And that’s what was playing in my head while I waited for the start of Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Always wanted a cool, amazing animal as a pet? Well, Mr. Popper’s got six penguins, and he’s turned his condo into a glorious penguin sanctuary. It’s every kid’s dream! So is the movie; Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a goofy, fun ride of a film that kids and adults will enjoy.
Mr. Tom Popper is a New York City guy that makes Scrooge in A Christmas Carol seem like an okay dude. Tom’s in acquisitions. He gets owners of properties to sell them to his company, and they rip ‘em down to put up new stuff. Historic buildings? Who cares? Progress, and be snappy about it. So when Tom Popper is asked to get the owner of the gorgeous, historic Tavern on the Green to sell, he’s on the job. But it just so happens that a package from his estranged father is on it’s way…wanna guess what’s in the box? If you can’t guess, I’ll give you a hint: it’s a penguin. When a second box comes, well you get the idea.
Soon Tom’s life is run by his feathered friends, and he can’t seem to part with them once his son and daughter get attached. Goodbye, gorgeous minimalist condo, hello ice palace of penguin! There’s the nosy, whiny neighbor that is probably Gladys Kravitz’s grandson, and the big bosses at Tom’s firm that value work uber alles, that threaten to put a kink in Tom’s plans for a penguin paradise. But Tom’s ex-wife Amanda (sweetly played by Carla Gugino) seems drawn to the penguins too (Kiddie Viewers Wish Fulfilment Fantasy alert!) What’s a guy to do but keep the adorable critters?
There are plenty of scenes where the Exposition Fairy comes out and tells (the audience) characters that no, keeping penguins in a home is not a good idea. Penguins need special care and if they don’t get it, they could get very sick. Plus, they poop. A lot. That makes it a riot for kids watching the movie, but totally icky for adults who know they’d have to clean up that mess later. If you’re bringing young ones to this movie, make sure to soak in all that info, you’ll probably need it on the ride back home.
Angela Landsbury plays the owner of Tavern on the Green, Mrs. Van Gundy. It was an absolute delight to see her here, and her performance is as understated as a Grande Dame of New York can be. Ms. Landsbury gives her character a quiet dignity, where it could have gone full bombast with a lesser actress. It almost made me wish that the Taven on the Green was actually still around, and that Mrs. Van Gundy owned it.
Ophelia Lovibond plays Pippi, Mr. Popper’s personal assistant that seems to be fixated on the letter P. As with Mrs. Van Gundy, Pippi could have been too much of a good thing, but here she’s played with a deft touch. Kudos to Lovibond, Landsbury and director Mark Waters, who all seem to know exactly how far to push a good thing before it gets in the way of itself. The big guns in this movie are Jim Carrey’s antics as Mr. Popper, and the film never forgets that. This keeps the story fun and exciting without getting bogged down in overkill. The end result is a movie that kids will love and adults will enjoy. In a time where movie makers seem to shoot for one or the other, it’s nice to find a film that can do both.
