Caught on a holiday Monday with nothing to do after the ballgames. What do you do? Why head for a movie theatre of course. And what two movies do you pair together for your own off-beat double feature? The Transporter 2 and March of the Penguins.
Okay, I'm a seriously deranged movie-picker. But the absurd fiction of The Transporter sequel fits quite well with the factual absurdity that is the life of an Emporer Penguin. I enjoyed both movies. A fair bit, too.
Jason Statham has a David Janssen mimics Jackie Chan style in his movies. Not much talk and a grim determination to his antics. Evading cops by flinging one's car from one building to the next, skidding to a tottering on the edge stop in the second building wouldn't be MY first idea. But that's how Frank, the Transporter does things. I could detail the plot, but I'd only confuse you. I could mention model Kate Nauta plays a wacky lingerie-clad gun moll. I could even include mention of gorgeous Amber Valleta. But it's all meaningless.
How are the stunts? What about the car chases? REALLY, REALLY good and unbelievable. 'nuff said.
The perfect antidote to getting all hot and sweaty over Kate and Amber is to head for the Antarctic and the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman as he details the intriguing life of the Emporer Penguin. It's not long, it will fit uncut into a 90-minute TV slot sometime in the future. Yet in those few minutes, any watcher gains a new-found respect for the sea-going birds who walk miles inland to launch their next generation.
Penguins are funny. They waddle and surf the land to get to and fro. They fight like sissies (well the females do, over the males to boot). But after this movie, you can't help but respect them.
It might be a super-sized National Geographic special, but March of the Penguins is a revelation on a movie screen. It's worth the ducats and might even be worth tricking your kids into seeing it.
Thumbs up to both movies.
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