My Penguin Friend (2024)

“My Penguin Friend” stars Jean Reno, Adriana Barraza, Rocío Hernández, Nicolás Francella, Alexia Moyano, and Thalma de Freitas.  Released on August 16, 2024, the film has a fisherman befriending an injured penguin.
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The film was directed by David Schurmann, who also directed films such as "Missing", "Little Secret", and "The World Twice Round".  There's no denying that nothing is more heartwarming than the friendship between a human and a cute animal. Whether it's a dog, cat, or even a harmless bear, these friendships never fail to teach us that animals are more human than we believe.  Why else would Hollywood make several movies about this specific relationship besides money?  This latest drama is unsurprisingly no different, which features another lesser-known true story about a fisherman and a uniquely friendly penguin that touches the hearts of those around them.  Was it another film that swims its way into our hearts?  Let's find out.
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The movie centers on João Perei de Souza (Reno), a heartbroken fisherman living in Brazil with his wife Maria (Barraza) following the tragic death of their son.  One day, he comes across an injured penguin drifting in the ocean, covered in oil from a spill.  João rescues the penguin and rehabilitates it, naming it Dindim.  As the unlikely friendship between João and Dindim grows, João learns to open his heart toward others as his miraculous efforts to rehabilitate the penguin catch the attention of those around him.

The first time I heard about "My Penguin Friend" was from the trailer I watched while viewing "Summer Camp".  I will never forget the experience I had from watching that slog of a film.  That trailer was enough to invigorate my interest more than my sluggish trip to that summer camp for one reason: its concept.  This is one of the plots that never fails to put a smile on my face, regardless of the quality.  Seeing a human regaining their perspective of life through their friendship with an animal always makes me appreciate life's greatest treasures besides watching movies.  Since there aren't many big films coming out at the tail end of summer vacation, I figured I'd give this movie a shot just to escape from all the drama happening in the real world.  Luckily, as usual, I managed to view it early due to the mystery movie event.

Regarding these types of movies, "My Penguin Friend" delivers pretty much what people would expect regarding its formula.  You have the protagonist whose life is changed by the unlikely appearance of a unique animal, and everyone becomes inspired by their incredible relationship.  As a result, everyone, including the protagonist, regains their hope for others and even themselves.  These stories have resonated with audiences because they remind us that even the smallest things in life can make a difference in the community, especially a penguin that can swim thousands of miles to visit its friend.  Even I must admit that after reading its fact-based concept, I was impressed by this accomplishment for such a small, cuddly animal.  But, of course, even with its good intentions, it always comes down to the execution of its quality and storytelling.  Some movies turn out to be as good as audiences suggested, while others fail to take advantage of specific plot elements and are too sentimentally manipulative for their own good.  Sadly, "My Penguin Friend" happens to land in the latter category.

That's not to say that the movie disappointed me, as it was able to provide what it intended to deliver due to David Schurmann's direction.  While his take on the subject wasn't anything too special, Schurmann mostly succeeds in delivering a heartfelt, family-friendly drama depicting its themes of grief and friendship that'll make everyone's hearts flutter like a penguin.  Its charm is partly due to its delightful cast, who did their best to elevate the film's enjoyability through their performances.  I hadn't seen much of Jean Reno aside from his last appearance in Kevin Hart's Netflix film, "Lift", but I'm also glad he's continuing to find more work, especially this one.  "My Penguin Friend" sees Reno take on the leading role of a grieving fisherman regaining his love from a small penguin, and the result is unsurprisingly charming.  His performance evoked genuine sorrow and kind-heartedness in João, compensating for some of the film's narrative shortcomings.  Adriana Barraza also did pretty well with her performance as Maria, João's supportive wife.  But, of course, I can't forget about Dindim the penguin, who's remarkably adorable.  I can't help it.  I'm just a sucker for small cute animals.

Unfortunately, despite its heartwarming vibes and charm, "My Penguin Friend" still felt lost in finding the right emotional beats to earn its inspiration.  Screenwriters Paulina Lagudi and Kristen Lazarian had the potential to deliver a thought-provoking and charmingly fun film, even though their script borrowed elements from other human/animal friendship movies. However, they didn't explore specific plot elements that could have enhanced its dramatic moments.  The worst offender of the script is João's son, whose death caused João to feel guilty for his actions.  This would've made for an emotionally compelling arc for João as he attempts to let go of the pain of his past and reopen his heart after encountering Dindim.  Sadly, that's not the case.  After the film's beginning, his son was never mentioned again until close to the third act.  It's almost like people forgot the son existed, or he was added in at the last minute for the sake of manipulating the audience with its sentimentality.  If they want us to sympathize with a grieving protagonist, they must either commit to the idea or not use it. The movie was also hurt by its pacing, which can be a chore for younger audiences eager for fast-paced action.  At some points, it can jump from one thing to another in a flash, and other times, it crawls on the sand like a crab walking on…well, the sand.

Overall, "My Penguin Friend" is as cute and cuddly as a penguin but lacks the thematic depth needed to elevate its heartwarming fact-based tale.  There's no doubt that its target audience will be delighted with the film's adorable appeal, but when compared to the other ones with similar concepts, it's sadly on the short end of a penguin's tail feather.  Jean Reno delivered an appealing presence in his role, and its heart was in the right place.  But they couldn't swim away from the waves of middling sentimentality due to its formulaically tame screenplay, Schurmann's hit-and-miss direction, and pacing.  If you like these types of movies and you want to watch this one for yourself, I'd say go for it.  It's a fine yet tame piece of escapism that we all need now and then, even if the story sank instead of swam.

C