History YMMV / MarchOfThePenguins

* {{Applicability}}: In the US, thanks to the English dub glossing over some of the less family-friendly parts of penguin behavior, the film proved oddly popular with [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies political conservatives]], who saw in it lessons for humans about monogamy and family values and even suggested that the penguins were an argument for "intelligent design" against UsefulNotes/{{evolution}}. Director Luc Jacquet found this interpretation amusing and strongly criticized it, noting that, in real life (and as the original French dub pointed out), penguin pairings only last a single mating season, meaning that they have an astronomical "divorce rate". ''National Review'' editor Rich Lowry invoked the MST3KMantra, claiming in the conservative magazine's blog that Creator/TheBBC had been bugging him to make a statement about the film as a political statement about rescuing America.
-->"As politely as I could I told her, 'Lady, they're just birds.'"

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Many TV spots marketed the film as a children's movie, spotlighting the baby penguins. While it has a G-rating, it's hardly a film for the little ones: the documentary does not shy away from the hardships the emperor penguins face, and many of the sequences feature said cute baby penguins either in danger or dying. Any little kids who end up watching it will likely be traumatized.

* EpilepticTrees: The film drew some odd interpretations from [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies political conservatives]], who saw in it lessons for humans about monogamy (never mind that the original French dub heavily hints at pairings only lasting a single mating season, as the birds normally behave) and even suggested that the penguins were an argument for "intelligent design" against UsefulNotes/{{Evolution}}. This led to an invoking of sorts of the MST3KMantra by ''National Review'' editor Rich Lowry who claimed in the conservative magazine's blog that Creator/TheBBC had been bugging him to make a statement about the film as a political statement about rescuing America.
-->"As politely as I could I told her, 'Lady, they're just birds.'"

* EpilepticTrees: The film drew some odd interpretations from [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies political conservatives]], who saw in it lessons for humans about monogamy(never mind that the original French dub heavily hints at pairings only lasting a single mating season, as the birds normally behave) and even suggested that the penguins were an argument for "intelligent design" against UsefulNotes/{{Evolution}}. This led to an invoking of sorts of the MST3KMantra by ''National Review'' editor Rich Lowry who claimed in the conservative magazine's blog that Creator/TheBBC had been bugging him to make a statement about the film as a political statement about rescuing America.

* EpilepticTrees: The film drew some odd interpretations from [[UsefulNotes/PoliticalIdeologies political conservatives]], who saw in it lessons for humans about monogamy and even suggested that the penguins were an argument for "intelligent design" against UsefulNotes/{{Evolution}}. This led to an invoking of sorts of the MST3KMantra by ''National Review'' editor Rich Lowry who claimed in the conservative magazine's blog that Creator/TheBBC had been bugging him to make a statement about the film as a political statement about rescuing America.

* FountainOfMemes: Dear '''God''', this movie has been parodied/homaged to death.
* {{Narm}}: The footage and music are stunning. The dialogue, if you watched the original version, would make you want to hide under your cinema seat. (The "love story" angle was present in the American version, too, but the narm is less obvious when narrated. In French, you get two penguins calling each other "dear".[[note]]Emperor penguins are serially monogamous: they are faithful for the year it takes to raise a chick, but 85% will change mates afterwards.[[/note]])
* NightmareFuel: The leopard seal sequence.
* TearJerker: The scene where the egg freezes.
** Also, the baby penguin freezing to death. Its mother is so grief-stricken that it tries to abduct another penguin's baby as its own. It doesn't help when we see the mother have a brief flashback of the bond it shared with its now-dead baby.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Many TV spots marketed the film as a children's movie, spotlighting the baby penguins. While it has a G-rating, it's hardly a film for the little ones: the documentary does not shy away from the hardships the Emperor Penguins go through in their life cycle, and and many of the sequences feature said cute baby penguins either in danger or dying. Any little kids who who end up watching it will more likely be traumatized.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Many TV spots marketed the film as a children's movie, spotlighting the baby penguins. While it has a G-rating, it's hardly a film for the little ones: the documentary does not shy away from the hardships the Emperor Penguins go through in their life cycle, and and many of the sequences feature said cute baby penguins either in danger or dying. Any little kids who who end up watching it will more likely be traumatized.

* TearJerker: The scene where the egg freezes.

* SleeperHit: Of a sort. Ordinarily, documentaries aren't released to mainstream movie theatres like this was.

* FountainOfMemes: Dear '''God''', this movie has been parodied/homaged to death.

-->"As politely as I could I told her, 'Lady, they're just birds.'"