Parents' Guide to

Mr. Popper's Penguins

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Carrey's penguin antics are predictable but still funny.

Movie PG 2011 95 minutes
Mr. Popper's Penguins Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 6+

Based on 37 parent reviews

Holly R.
Holly R. Parent of baby-year-old
July 21, 2018
age 5+

Penguins

This is a movie about a workaholic father with Daddy issues and a crumbling relationship with his separated wife and kids who gets evil penguins in the mail who proceed to destroy his home and ruin his career whilst saving his marriage because what lady can resist a man with evil penguins to entertain the kids and make a gawd awful mess? I know that I absolutely love the idea of a relationship with a man who is willing to convert his living space into a penguin sanctuary. But in all seriousness this is a charming movie and the evil penguins causing mischief is the best part.
melz06
melz06 Parent of 6-year-old
June 7, 2019
age 10+

Nothing like the book

Just watched this. Let my 6 year old watch it because we had read the book. Nothing like the book! It does have language which was very disappointing. A few funny parts. I could also see how it could be disappointing for kids with divorced parents, and wanting them to get back together (because it portrays that in the movie).
See all 37 parent reviews

What's the Story?

One day, incredibly successful New York City commercial real-estate developer Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) gets an unexpected inheritance from his deceased father -- a penguin. Later in the week, the divorced father of two receives five more penguins, and just as he's about to hand them over the Central Park Zoo, his own young son arrives, believing they're a birthday present for him. To appease his son and teen daughter, Popper promises to keep the flightless birds in his Manhattan duplex. Although he's supposed to be wooing the elderly Mrs. Van Gundy (Angela Lansbury) of Central Park's Tavern on the Green restaurant to sell him the property, Popper finds himself more and more immersed in the life of a penguin caretaker -- first for the sake of his two kids, and later because he finds himself attached to them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (37 ):
Kids say (61 ):

MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS is a surprisingly entertaining family comedy. Like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, this isn't a faithful adaptation of the original kids' book -- but considering that the original book was written in the 1930s, it's somewhat understandable to update the story. And since any movie dealing with animals is almost by definition sugary sweet, we can excuse some of the plot's predictably sentimental aspects, like the "all work, no family time" dad who realizes that "less work, more play" is a better way to parent. Once you're aware that the movie is more of an homage than a pure adaptation and that you pretty much know what's going to happen from the first moment you lay eyes on Carrey's malleable face, you just sit back and enjoy.

No, this isn't the kind of kid-friendly movie you immediately pre-order the DVD for after seeing, but between the penguin choreography (expect kids to do the shuffle-hop-step/"Word" tap dance for a few days), the slapsticky shenanigans, and Carrey's comedic gifts, there are enough laughs to keep parents awake and interested. One of the best parts of the movie is the fact that the penguins are pacified by watching Charlie Chaplin movies on TV; they just can't get enough of the legendary comedian. Then there's the adorable supporting character Pippi (Ophelia Lovibond), who speaks solely in alliterations beginning with the letter P. Just when you expect the gimmick to grow old, it keeps making you smile -- like the movie itself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of animal movies. Why are we so entertained by human-acting animals who are lovable but wreak comedic havoc?

  • How is the movie different than the book? Is it important for movies to be faithful to their source stories, or is OK for them be "loosely adapted" or "inspired by," like this movie? What are your favorite books-turned-movies?

  • How does taking care of the penguins change Mr. Popper? Kids: How have your pets changed you?

  • Parents, talk to your kids about the way Mr. Popper reacts to his father's death. Do they understand why Mr. Popper was mad at his dad? How does the movie demonstrate that there are better ways for families to behave?

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