by KEVIN LAFOREST

In the same vein as Jacques Perrin's Oscar-nominated documentary Le Peuple migrateur, which chronicles the long migration journeys of various birds from all over the world, Luc Jacquet's La Marche de l'empereur follows emperor penguins as they swim, stomp and slide across the South Pole.

And like Perrin's picture, Jacquet's is mostly driven by breathtaking visuals. Unlike its predecessor, however, it's also quite thick with voice-over. Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling and Jules Sitruk provide the storybook-style narration, giving voices to Mommy Penguin, Daddy Penguin and Baby Penguin as they waddle through the cycle of life.

Although these short-winged pinheads spend most of their time happily frolicking in the ocean, once a year they have to leave the water and walk far onto the ice banks - where they can mate, nestle their eggs and raise the hatched chicks until they're big enough to swim. The catch is every so often one of the parents has to make the long trek back to the frozen shores for food, while the others stay behind getting blasted by wind and snow.

Jacquet and his crew spent a year in Antarctica with the penguins capturing all the wonders of their existence: the way they burst out of the water like torpedoes, their hot nuptial dance, the endurance they show in the face of sub-zero temperatures and their nurturing nature.

There is also the occasional conflict between the penguins, like when the females bitchslap each other over the males or when a mother who lost her baby tries to steal one of the others. But for the most part, these are peaceful creatures that often have to rely on each other for survival, only finding warmth in group hugs.

Adding to the dreamy nature of the beautifully shot movie is the original score by Emilie Simon, a French artist who sounds like a young, naïve Björk. Her music, which mixes electro beats, classical strings and toy keyboards, is as cute as the fuzzy little baby penguins. The film could have used more of her ethereal soundscapes, though, and less of the corny narration. But the imagery is still enough to amaze viewers of all ages.

La Marche de l'empereur opens Friday, May 20, French only

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