BasThis film honestly surprised me. The Penguin’s Lessons is funny, sweet and way more entertaining than I expected. The cinematography is gorgeous, those wide shots look amazing but the best parts are the close-ups of Steve Coogan next to this ridiculously cute penguin. It’s the perfect “grumpy old man + adorable animal” setup and it totally works.
Steve Coogan kills it here. He’s sarcastic, bitter and hilarious and you can’t help rooting for him. Pair that with a penguin who steals every scene just by waddling around and you’ve got a duo that makes the whole thing worth watching.
The music is great too. It’s light and playful in all the right moments, then slows down when it needs to.
The only downside? The random political “white savior” stuff. It feels so forced and out of place like the movie suddenly wanted to be something deeper than it actually is. I couldn’t stand it and it almost pulled me out.
But overall, when it sticks to the comedy, the visuals, and the odd friendship between Coogan and a penguin, it’s genuinely human, fun and surprisingly touching.