Some very human nature.(March of the Penguins )(Duma)(Movie Review)

Nature films have long appealed to family audiences for their innocent charm, and this summer offers two fine examples of the type: March of the Penguins and Duma, both of which provide a refuge for parents grown tired of the rude mania often exhibited in contemporary kids' flicks.

March of the Penguins, a gripping documentary about emperor penguins in Antarctica, is even rated G (yes, the rating still exists). Director Luc Jacquet unobtrusively records these birds' annual breeding and parenting efforts, crucial acts of survival against a harsh, wintry backdrop.

After waddling 70 miles from the ocean to their breeding grounds, the penguins carefully select a single mate. This pair will then remain faithful to each other from the creation of their chick until its independence.

The journey is hardly a honeymoon. Once the mother delivers the egg, the father shelters it atop his claws and beneath his feathers for weeks on end. The mother repeats the 70-mile trek back to the ocean, where she finally eats and returns with food for the now-hatched chick. Taking the little one under her feathers, the mother then provides the warmth while the father makes his own arduous food run.

Other astonishing acts of commitment and endurance are required to ensure that the single chick survives the winter. If some animals put humans to shame with their gracefulness and beauty, penguins do it with their parenting skills. Potty training seems like child's play compared to this.

Despite the director's low-key approach--there is no wild-eyed crocodile hunter here to whip up audience fervor--March of the Penguins enthralls. The imagery alone is mesmerizing, from the brilliant blue streaks that run through the hills of ice to the detailed shots of the birds' surprising talons. Often thought of as clumsy and ungainly, penguins instead emerge as creatures beautifully designed to survive, even thrive, in an unforgiving land.

The movie offers many captivating moments: a new couple's cuddle, apart from the massive throng, as if they were teenagers on a date. A chick peeking out from its father's feathers to take a first glimpse of the world outside. A penguin slipping on ...