Daniel Winnick

It’s predictable, emotionally manipulative, and short on characterization. It’s also really well-shot, replete with incredibly lifelike VFX scenes of penguins (mixed with what seems to be practical footage), and quite heartwarming. I credit Jean Reno for taking on this role and playing it so simply and potently. I would’ve enjoyed “My Penguin Friend” even were I not obsessed with penguins. (Though I am, to be clear.) The biggest problems with this film are the dramatic turns that strain credulity and the sometimes-stilted (or too “obvious”) dialogue. Most of these occur when we leave Reno’s character and travel (with penguin DinDim) to Argentina, where three people who are rather unconvincing as scientists provide background information on penguins—some truly cringeworthy dialogue not fully explainable by a language barrier, though perhaps partially—and also provide the dramatic engine to bring about the movie’s final act. Some rewriting or scene-cutting would have done wonders here. Thankfully, the scenes shot in Brazil have enough heart to counter these deficiencies. I would have preferred to see this movie as performed in Portuguese and Spanish, say, but then it would’ve been less accessible to most audiences (esp. American children), and we wouldn’t have had Jean Reno’s superb performance, which would’ve been a great loss, indeed. Finally: Special credit to the filmmakers for the opening flashback sequence. The movie doesn’t work if those scenes don’t work—and they are properly restrained and utterly heartbreaking.

WAY better than I remembered. I still think the plot pales somewhat in comparison to the earlier films, but the story—the character-based story, as distinct from the plot per se—is really effective. It’s also easy to overlook how tremendously adept the visual storytelling is, both in the action scenes and in the more “human” ones. Just really, really well put together, and were it not for the shock of a stereotypical alien suddenly appearing on-screen, I think this movie might be numbered rightly among the best in the saga.

This has to be one of the, if not the, best diving thrillers ever made. Right up there with Open Water—with far higher production values. I’m not a diver myself, but I’ve watched enough episodes of Dive Talk on YouTube to consider myself an armchair expert…and honestly, the diving in this seemed highly realistic, including the plot points involving safety stops (although they fudged this a little bit) and potential CO2 poisoning. Buddy-breathing seemed well-executed, and even some tenets of cave-diving (frog-kicking and laying safety lines) were observed. (And the actors did their own diving, up to eight hours a day during the three weeks of production.) Some of the objections noted by other reviewers are perhaps too hasty. I think both characters are strong and resourceful, although of course the character who’s doing the saving has to find her ability through the course of the movie. (Otherwise, no movie.) Also, I thought the trunk wouldn’t open because she had broken in rather than using the key. (Meaning, prevented by the security system.) Maybe the storytelling could have been clearer there. Definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in diving, and if you’re looking for a movie with strong female leads. Don’t expect deep characterization, but unless that’s a dealbreaker, you should enjoy this.