Please note: Although this is a general (but Cumberbatch-centric) review, you may find spoilery descriptions. If you don't want to be possibly spoiled in any way, please wait to read this blog until you've seen the movie.
Agent Classified, as Skipper calls him, knows how to make an entrance--in a $19 million plane. (He and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Phil Coulson should compare notes.) Like Coulson, Classified leads a handsome ensemble of capable secret agents, but this team is collectively known as the North Wind. [To make the required Sherlock or ACD comparison, whereas the East wind is cold, bitter, and destructive (rather like Sherlock can be when faced with a terrible foe), North Wind is cool, witty, and savior-like when it breezily drops in to save animals in peril--although these agents aren't averse to destruction and know they look good walking away in slow-mo from a huge explosion.] When evil octo-scientist Dave abducts penguins all over the world while he prepares a Medusa serum to turn the cuddly birds into monsters, the penguins formerly of Madagascar (AKA Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private) travel the globe to thwart this evildoer's plan--which is exactly what the North Wind has in mind, too.
Fortunately, the North Wind also brings the arrival of Benedict Cumberbatch--or rather his vocal talents as grey wolf Classified. He's classy. He's confident. He's cool. He's a wolf with a plan. His voice--not just his animated expression--"raises an eyebrow" at the penguins' antics.
Theoretically, the family-friendly movie stars the cute penguins of Madagascar in the fourth movie in DreamWorks Animation's talking animal saga. The movie's plot, however, seems better suited to the Nickelodeon TV show. It's a fun movie, but the plot is standard evil genius vs. good, self-knowing smugness vs. wide-eyed innocence. The zippy pace and punny one-liners (often plays on actor's names: "Charlize, there on the death ray!" or "Kevin, bake on!") keep the story interesting for short attention spans. Plus, the actors are really into character and seem to be having a very good time.
The best lines go to John Malkovich as Dave, a mad-scientist octopus bent on revenge, and Cumberbatch as Classified. Whereas Malkovich can go full-stop (and non-stop) Evil with gusto and glee, Cumberbatch is more constrained as the proper British spy character that both checks the boxes for and simultaneously pokes fun at the spy-film genre. Cumberbatch's best line--"It's like talking to my parents"--is also his favorite. The Skype call in question is humorous because it's "human"--a scene with which parents or children can identify. Cumberbatch/Classified delivers the line under his breath, which also humanizes the character who, despite being highly successful in his career, still faces common fond frustrations with his family.
Once again, Cumberbatch's/Classified's Britishness is highlighted more so than would be typical in a "spy film" in a world long familiar with Bond. Classified wants the penguins to create a diversion, while Skipper's plan requires the North Wind to provide the diversionary tactic. The standoff results in a pronunciation-off before the plan-off to determine how the teams will work together. Skipper insists the correct pronunciation is dɪˈvɜrʒ(ə)n, with a short "i", but Classified asserts it is dīˈvərZHən, with a long "i".
The story's moral about what really counts does not reflect diversity--however you pronounce it--as much as it arguably should. By the time the credits roll, the penguins' status quo has been predictably restored.
Rotten Tomatoes today lists the critics' approval rating at 68% (up from 62% last night), with 74% of the audience giving it four out of five stars. Cumberbatch and Malkovich are getting strong positive reviews by both groups. U.S. box office returns since Thursday indicate that Penguins will end up in the top five by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend--way behind Mockingjay but ahead of Horrible Bosses 2. It's doing well within its niche-audience group, but Big Hero 6, even in its fourth weekend, is still strong competition, and all non-Mockingjay movies are doing less business than expected.
My adult-kid friends and I had a good time when we saw Penguins at a matinee yesterday, although we agreed there's no need for the 3D, other than providing more visual depth; the movie doesn't resort to gimmicky zoom-ins or close-ups. Like many Cumberbatch fans (especially those without children), we were there to see Classified and now want a Classified spinoff movie. If the penguins could do it after being cute in the Madagascar series, why can't classy Classified?
In the meantime, adult fans can play the "pengweng" drinking game. Every time Classified says "pengweng," take a drink of your favorite movie beverage. Classified doesn't always pronounce penguin that way, so you have to listen carefully.
Especially for Cumberbatch fans, Penguins is a pleasant dīˈvərZHən for an hour and a half. It's not the most profound or heart-tugging family film that DreamWorks Animation has ever produced (I'm biased toward the How to Train Your Dragon series), but it, like the penguins, is cute and fun. Plus, it's another way to enjoy Cumberbatch's talents--especially until the final Hobbit film or The Imitation Game comes to a cinema near you.
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