Analysis of the Setting
The film is set within the present and can be considered a fictional representation of a person’s ordinary life where extraordinary events take place. It generally follows a non-linear story progression with time skips and flashbacks meant to represent the different aspects of the main characters life. The general location of the film is apparently set within one of the many cities within the U.S. and is meant to be relatable to the audience that watches it.
Analysis of the Plot
Mr. Popper’s Penguins can be categorized as a family comedy that is meant to appeal to parents and children. Forgiveness, redemption, and love are the main aspects of the plot, and they are emphasized in the scenes where the family of Mr. Popper forgives him for neglecting them, where Mr. Popper realizes that family is the most important gift of all and that it is necessary to express love and compassion whenever possible. The plot helps to showcase such elements by creating “little lessons” within the film wherein the main character learns the value of the family that he has neglected.
Analysis of the Character
Mr. Popper (as portrayed by Jim Carrey) can be considered as an ordinary man that has been placed into an extraordinary position when penguins become an important part of his life. The character is actually quite similar to a lot of action film characters that find redemption in their actions and realize that what they originally valued may not be what they should have valued in the first place. This is related to Mr. Popper focusing on his job when he should have been focusing on his family.
Analysis of the Style and Technique
The film follows a non-linear method of presenting events where the focus can shift from actions that happen within the day to something that occurs 2 or 3 weeks later. It utilizes a considerable level of CGI animation in order to create the funniest scenes in the movie involving the penguins.
There is no specific style regarding the method in which the film was shot. It is not an artsy type of film; rather, it is a film that is meant to appeal to a broad audience and does this by filming in a generally straightforward fashion without any special techniques in the filming process aside from the CGI.
The Theme of the film
The main theme of the film is the importance of family and how being there for one another is the most important gift of all. This was seen when Popper read the letter from his father which told him that he should not neglect his children and be close to them. As stated earlier, since the film can be considered a comedy that appeals to family, this thematic element is not surprising since it was the intention of the director to focus on espousing specific family values and imparting them to the audience.
In this case, the family value that was focused on was the need to cherish one’s family above all else. The film attempted to impart the importance of such a lesson by showing that Mr. Popper became progressively more miserable as he neglected his children, became happier when he was closer to them and became miserable once more when he started to distance himself from them because of his job.
Sample Opinion
I have to say that I actually really enjoyed the film, it had a lot of comedic and touching moments that really left me quite entertained from start to finish. Jim Carrey was a superb actor and really helped in bringing to life the character of Mr. Popper. The animations, though minimal, helped to enhance the visual appeal of the film. All in all, I would highly recommend the film for anyone looking for a nice family friendly film that is funny and quite entertaining to watch.