If you were to ask me to identify my favorite comedic actor, the easy choice would be Jim Carrey, the comedic genius behind classics such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Granted, he may not be Hollywood’s go-to funnyman today like he was during the height of his popularity in the 90’s, but I still maintain that he is hysterical. Though best known for his zany antics and sophomoric humor, Carrey has had success in the family comedy genre, so he seemed like a more-than-natural choice for the big-screen adaptation of a beloved children’s book. Despite the fact that “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” is now included in elementary-level reading curriculum and insanely popular among children, I confess that I was not familiar with this classic book; still, that shortcoming wasn’t going to stop me from seeing this newest comedy. Centering on arctic animals and showing off sets filled with snow, it did seem like Mr. Popper’s Penguins would have been better suited for a winter release, but one of the main reasons that people go to movies in the first place is to feel a sense of escapism…well played 20th Century Fox.
Given the fact that the plot involved a businessman receiving and subsequently bonding with a group of penguins, I wasn’t expecting anything overtly deep or profound from Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but that still doesn’t justify the largely mediocre nature of the story that was ultimately told. As a family film, there are definitely some downright precious moments, and I’m sure that young children will delight in watching the title aviary characters wreak havoc, but beyond those positive concessions, there is little else to praise about this highly predictable entry. Jim Carrey tries his best and generates some notable chemistry with Carla Gugino, but he still feels largely subdued in this role, not even bothering to up the level of comedy beyond “doting dad.” I can see why the filmmakers would use so much silly comedy, but I think that they largely overstepped a tentative boundary and ended up simply patronizing young viewers. To be clear, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is by no means a bad film, but there is just nothing special about it that audiences will remember once they leave the theater.
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Overall Recommendation: Low
