‘My Penguin Friend’ is charming and endearing

Category: Movies

Based on a true story, My Penguin Friend is an endearing tale about one little penguin who heals a lonely fisherman and delights an entire town. This is the story of DinDim, a smart, intuitive, and amazing penguin that proved animals are indeed deserving of our attention and love.

Jean Reno stars as João, a father, husband, and fisherman. When his young son is killed in a boating mishap during a storm, João feels responsible because even though he did not feel it was safe to go out on the water due to the looming storm, his son Miguel really wanted to go so as a loving father he acquiesced to his son’s wishes and took him out for his birthday. 

Years later João is still a broken man. His hopes and dreams are gone. He still mourns the death of his son. Then one day he sees a little penguin covered in oil from a spill. He takes him home, cleans him up, feeds him, and clothes him. Yes, he put a make shift sweater on the little guy to keep him warm while he was regaining his strength. 

Up until this point João had nothing to live for. But this little flightless bird changed everything. A local girl named him DinDim, and the entire town delighted in seeing João walking through the streets with his new friend. For the longest time the man had been despondent and kept to himself, but DinDim brought life back to him, and eventually his wife (Adriana Barraza) became just as attached to the little fellow.

Then one day DinDim was gone. He traveled thousands of miles through the ocean to return to his nesting beach with all the other penguins. João thought he would never see his friend again, but about six months later DinDim returned to João and the home he adopted.

This went on for eight years. DinDim traveled five thousand miles from Argentina to Brazil to spend about six months with his human friend and back to Argentina to spend the next months amongst his penguin friends. 

Meanwhile, on the beach where the penguins are nesting, a marine biologist and her team are studying the birds. DinDim is different than the others. He is not afraid of them but is friendly towards them. The little guy is tagged for study and when he disappears from the beach and returns to Brazil, they learn about his travels. DinDim becomes famous, and the world learns just how intelligent these birds are. Their inner GPS is so strong they instinctively know where to go.

Unfortunately, one group of scientists want to take DinDim to their facility to study him further. Thankfully, DinDim escapes and returns to João, a little worse for wear, but alive. 

DinDim has his two homes for eight incredible years. When he finally disappears for the last time, it is presumed he started his own family back in Argentina. Nevertheless, he made an old man love again, and the world realize how intelligent these birds, especially little DinDim, are.

The movie was filmed on location in Brazil and Argentina with all the wonders and beauty of nature. It is truly a delightful story for the whole family.

My Penguin Friend is rated PG for thematic content. The film hits theaters August 16, 2024. Even though there is some sadness in the story, it is worthy of family viewing. It is a remarkable tale of love and life.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.