Mr. Popper’s Penguins was one of the books from my childhood that always seemed to stick with me. When the movie came out in 2011, I was excited but never got around to watching it. Now in 2022, I saw that it was on Hulu, and added it to my watch list. The movie stars Jim Carrey as Mr. Popper: a workaholic whose life is forever changed when he receives a live penguin as a final gift from his father.
Jim Carrey is part of so many of my childhood movies (albeit most not appropriate for children) so it made sense that he is Mr. Popper. He has a this way of making the character feel familiar but still new. Mr. Popper is a workaholic and has lost himself while being so focused on his career. Al odds his relationships have been affected by this. I found Jim Carrey’s development of the character to feel both realistic and genuine. J honestly felt that that he was different man then when the movie started.
The penguins was adorable. There is a mix of real penguins and CGI penguins. Each penguins had its own personality and each worked his way into Mr. Popper’s heart. They create their own little family which in some ways parallels the relationship between Mr. Popper and his children. The penguin family helps reunite the human family. I think my favorite penguin had to be Nimrod for his curiosity, loss of balance, and for being so accident prone. He brought forth the comedy in the film.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is just so heartwarming. I found myself to have a smile on my face from beginning to end. This is the kind of film that brings people together. It has so much character and for the people like me who remember reading this book which the movie is loosely based on, the nostalgia is strong. I feel like I was revisiting my childhood.
Rating: 4 Stars
welcome to the zoo! 
I didn’t know this was a book!
I’ll have to see if I can find a copy, the movie was so sweet and hilarious.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Allison!
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