Penguins
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: April 17, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriApr 20, 2019
What’s worse, the songs often distract from the far more interesting real drama occurring onscreen. Kids may find it engaging, but adults may get more restless than usual. Turn the sound down or play your own music over it, and Penguins may well be a near masterpiece. Read full review
80
VarietyCourtney HowardApr 17, 2019
With irreverence, charm, sparkling cinematography, and a catchy pop soundtrack, this marks the series’ youngest-skewing, most comedic Earth Day documentary yet. That’s not a bad thing, however. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicMelissa YeagerApr 16, 2019
Overall, kids will enjoy the story's humorous moments punctuated by a couple barf jokes — always popular with the under-12 crowd. Meanwhile, their Gen-X and Millennial parents may find the story of the struggles of parenting familiar. They might also have flashbacks to their own childhoods through a soundtrack featuring artists like REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenApr 12, 2019
Even more than those acclaimed lion, chimp and bear films that have preceded it, Penguins proves especially delightful — a coming-of-age story outfitted with an engaging anthropomorphic overlay that can make you forget you’re watching an intimately filmed documentary instead of an animated adventure. Read full review
77
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiMar 18, 2019
A film like this is always a major accomplishment, so it feels like a cognitive disconnect when the actual story it tells seems so light and benign. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsApr 19, 2019
In the spirit of previous Disneynature film voiceover artists John C. Reilly and Tina Fey, Helms contributes a winning inner-monologue voice for Steve, while also delivering the alternately threatening and comforting narration. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireApr 17, 2019
Just you try to resist the impossible adorableness offered up in the latest Disneynature documentary, Penguins. You cannot do it, despite the cutesy anthropomorphizing, the too-tidy nature of the story it’s telling and the knowingly cheesy soundtrack of ‘80s tunes accompanying these creatures’ adventures. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerApr 17, 2019
Educating young audiences as it entertains just about anyone, Penguins features the droll narration of Ed Helms and some great Antarctic cinematography. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 14, 2019
It won’t supplant “March of the Penguins.” But DisneyNature has scored another kid-friendly natural world documentary about wild creatures we all connect with and that today’s kids will grow up wanting to protect from climate change and the other man-made threats facing them. Read full review
75
IndieWireKate ErblandApr 10, 2019
With Penguins, frequent Disneynature filmmaker Alastair Fothergill and franchise newbie Jeff Wilson are working in a more minor key than such essential entries as Chimpanzee and African Cats, but the artistry and relative magic of the series is still on full display. Read full review
71
Paste MagazineMichael BurginApr 18, 2019
Ultimately, what Penguins lacks in vibranium frisbees or live-action blue genies, it more than makes up for in … well … penguins. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter TraversApr 18, 2019
But fantasy elements aside, this Disney movie has the one essential that makes a nature documentary fly: a thrilling sense of wonder. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonApr 17, 2019
Considering it’s geared towards children — although not afraid to show some of the harsher realities of the animal kingdom — Penguins is more instructional tool than scintillating nonfiction investigation. But resistance to these sweet, wobbly critters is futile. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaApr 16, 2019
The film gets laughs from a script emphasizing Steve’s awkwardness and the soundtrack’s use of ’80s power ballads. Of course, nothing in it is as endearing as the birds themselves. The mere sight of their fat bodies waddling across the ice gets the warmest response of all. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenApr 17, 2019
This time out however, the Disneynature folks have complemented their flawless footage with a script (narrated by Ed Helms) that is more anthropomorphized than usual. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenApr 16, 2019
The true power of “Penguins” lies in the breathtaking visuals of Antarctic scenery and overhead shots of penguins, thousands upon thousands of them, moving across ice fields, black dots on bright white background stretching to the distant horizon. When it steps back from the schmaltz, “Penguins” becomes an impressive piece of work. Read full review
58
Original-CinThom ErnstApr 17, 2019
Penguins is the latest of DisneyNature’s wildlife documentary features, and in many ways among the best. There’s much to admire in it, but its devotion to a family-friendly tone is often at odds with the astounding footage onscreen. Read full review
40
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeApr 16, 2019
[A] beautiful but frustratingly shallow Disneynature documentary. Read full review
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