Released Year: 2011
Directed by Mark Waters
Casted by:
Jim Carrey as Thomas "Tom" Popper, Jr.
Carla Gugino as Amanda Popper
Madeline Carroll as Janie Popper
Maxwell Perry Cotton as Billy "Bill" Popper
Angela Lansbury as Selma Van Gundy
Story:
Thomas "Tom" Popper is a divorced real-estate entrepreneur whose father traveled around the world during his childhood. He learns that his father has died during an adventure to Antarctica and discovers that his father's will asks for his son to be given a souvenir from his last adventure. The next week, a crate containing a gentoo penguin (Captain) shows up at his doorstep. Eventually, five more penguins arrive. Popper intends to give them away but changes his mind when his children, Janie and Billy, think that the animals are Billy's birthday present. That night, Popper meets with New York zookeeper Nat Jones, who asks for the penguins. Popper tries to stall him by asking him to collect the penguins another time. Jones agrees but not before warning that the conditions in Popper's apartment are not good enough to raise penguins. Popper is forced to pay the board of his apartment to keep the penguins in his apartment and lies to his arrogant neighbor Kent about there being no animals in his home.
At work, Popper is given the task of buying Tavern on the Green, an old restaurant where he used to eat with his father as a child, with the intent of tearing it down and building a new development in its place. However, its elderly owner, Selma Van Gundy, will only sell it to a person of true value. Popper has unsuccessful meetings with her, and she refuses to sell to him. Having the penguins around helps Popper become closer to his children. He also begins dating their mother, Amanda Popper, again. The penguins eventually lay three eggs. Two eggs hatch, and one doesn’t. Popper becomes obsessed with seeing the last egg hatch, losing his job in the process when he angers his bosses for not focusing on the tavern.
Upon realizing from Jones that the egg can’t be hatched, Popper feels he is not capable of raising the penguins and donates them to Jones for the New York Zoo. He then is re-hired by his bosses and refocuses on purchasing the Tavern on the Green. His children and ex-wife are disappointed by his decision. The next day, his ex-wife prepares to go to Africa with her boyfriend and leave the kids in his care.
Popper finds a lost letter from his father telling him to hold his children close and love them. Having a change of heart, Popper asks his children and ex-wife to help him get the penguins back from the zoo. He and his family interrogate Jones about the penguins, which Jones claims were separated and traded to other zoos. Popper finds that Jones is lying. He frees the penguins from a cooler in the office and locks Jones inside. When preparing to leave, Popper and his family notice that Jones has escaped and security guards are looking for them. Popper and his family get away with the penguins and flee to the tavern with Jones in pursuit.
Upon seeing how Popper had reunited his family and rescued the penguins, Van Gundy agrees to sell him the restaurant. Rather than tear it down, Popper orders that the restaurant should be renovated and reopened. Jones arrives with the police to arrest Popper for theft of the penguins. After Popper explains the story, the officers agree to spare him from prison if they determine who the penguins love. Jones holds up a sardine for the penguins, but they go to Popper. The police officers arrest Jones instead. Van Gundy protects Mr. Popper from arrest due to her friendship with New York's Mayor, thus leaving Popper in custody of the penguins.
Popper and his family travel to Antarctica with the penguins, allowing them to live with their own kind and promising to visit. Popper's first penguin, Captain, is revealed to have laid another egg. Popper tells his children that they'll visit when the baby is born.
L² Scored: 4/10
L² Comment:
This movie is based on a children's book written by Richard Atwater & Florence Atwater in 1938. I never read the book before, so not sure whether the movie is following exactly or there are lots of changes as well.
For me, the storyline is kinda so so and it is so predictable. Since this is a Jim Carrey's movie, I expected more laughter from myself but instead I just wish this movie can end fast when I am watching it. Even though Carrey is on comedian side, but I think he really need to change the way of his acting; or even do some other funny expression, this is so the "same him" in all his movie, and I have starting to get tired of it :p
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