Jim Carrey's career has in many ways mirrored that of Eddie Murphy. In their early days, both had distinctive styles of their own – Murphy was fast-talking, foul-mouthed, vulgar and very funny; Carrey was a manic and energetic physical comedian like one of the Three Stooges on steroids. They were both at their best in those early years. Their comedy was effective and the films they made were usually enjoyable and funny. Then, for reasons best known to themselves, both men settled for a niche in that most insipid and cloying of genres – the mainstream Hollywood family comedy. From time to time, both men escape from the constraints of this self-imposed exile – check out Murphy in Bowfinger, for example, or Carrey in The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind – and we get a wonderful reminder of what they're capable of. But all too often, both men slip back into "Hollywood Family Comedy Hell", where their talents are wasted on cinematic silliness like Mr Popper's Penguins. This Jim Carrey vehicle is lame and predictable for its duration, pandering solely for children below the age of 10.
Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) is a successful businessman who treats everyone around him with frosty disregard. As a child, he was neglected by his father who spent most of his time gallivanting around the world in search of animals. As an adult, Popper now treats his own kids – daughter Janie (Madeline Carroll) and son Billy (Maxwell Perry Cotton) – with the same dismissive indifference. One day he receives word that his father has died in some God-forsaken corner of the world, and shortly afterwards Popper inherits a number of penguins. Initially he wants to be rid of them but soon he discovers that he actually cares for the penguins, loves them even, and before long he finds himself becoming a better person thanks to the effect the penguins have on his life. His relationship with his kids grows, and he even starts to rekindle a romance with his ex-wife Amanda (Carla Gugino). But as always things don't run smoothly, and Popper ends up having to save his penguins from a nasty zoo-keeper while keeping alive a precious business deal with cranky old heiress Mrs Van Gundy (Angela Lansbury).
This isn't hugely different from Carrey's earlier offering Liar, Liar. Once again, a single-minded and neglectful father gets a shot at saving his marriage and rebuilding his relationship with his kids thanks to extraordinary circumstances. But where that film had a degree of manic energy, this one merely offers sentimental schmaltz. Mr. Popper's Penguins is not a total loss by any means, with some amusing moments and good special effects. It's just that the film doesn't really hang together as a whole, alternating too often between the disappointingly predictable and the excessively juvenile. In fact, the penguins have all the best moments – if it wasn't for them, this would be a very long 94 minutes indeed.
Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) is a successful businessman who treats everyone around him with frosty disregard. As a child, he was neglected by his father who spent most of his time gallivanting around the world in search of animals. As an adult, Popper now treats his own kids – daughter Janie (Madeline Carroll) and son Billy (Maxwell Perry Cotton) – with the same dismissive indifference. One day he receives word that his father has died in some God-forsaken corner of the world, and shortly afterwards Popper inherits a number of penguins. Initially he wants to be rid of them but soon he discovers that he actually cares for the penguins, loves them even, and before long he finds himself becoming a better person thanks to the effect the penguins have on his life. His relationship with his kids grows, and he even starts to rekindle a romance with his ex-wife Amanda (Carla Gugino). But as always things don't run smoothly, and Popper ends up having to save his penguins from a nasty zoo-keeper while keeping alive a precious business deal with cranky old heiress Mrs Van Gundy (Angela Lansbury).
This isn't hugely different from Carrey's earlier offering Liar, Liar. Once again, a single-minded and neglectful father gets a shot at saving his marriage and rebuilding his relationship with his kids thanks to extraordinary circumstances. But where that film had a degree of manic energy, this one merely offers sentimental schmaltz. Mr. Popper's Penguins is not a total loss by any means, with some amusing moments and good special effects. It's just that the film doesn't really hang together as a whole, alternating too often between the disappointingly predictable and the excessively juvenile. In fact, the penguins have all the best moments – if it wasn't for them, this would be a very long 94 minutes indeed.