This summer will see a surge in demand for pet penguins - all thanks to the wacky comedy Mr Popper's Penguins.
Successful real estate developer and divorced father Tommy Popper (Jim Carrey) inherits six penguins as a final gift from his explorer dad. His late father means to stress the importance of family through these loyal and loving companions.
In order to advance his career, Popper tries to buy Central Park Tavern. But the owner does not want to sell him the property until he learns the value of family.
Most of the film is shot on location with real penguins. But some scenes - like the one in which Carrey teaches penguins to dance - were created with computer graphics. It's adorable and certainly a highlight of the film.
However, subplots never really add up to much and are not fully developed. Neither are some characters like the materialistic apartment building receptionist (Desmin Borges), a nosy neighbour (David Krumholtz) and a mildly villainous zookeeper (Clark Gregg).
Director Mark Waters does not let the story get too emotional or silly. It's a well-balanced family movie. If nothing else, seeing adorable penguins wreak havoc in New York is worth the price of admission alone.