Penguins Behind Bars 2003
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada, 1123 Broadway, Suite 307, New York, NY 10010;800-267-7710
Produced by Judith Gruber-Stitzer and Janet Perlman of Hulascope Studio, for Cartoon Network, in association with the National Film Board of Canada
Directed by Janet Perlman
VHS, color, 23 min.
Upper Elementary - Adult
Animation
Date Entered: 04/07/2004
Reviewed by Karen Straube, George Fox University, Newberg, ORThis is the animated story of a naïve penguin, Doris, who inadvertently drives the getaway car when her boyfriend, Charlie Abaloney, robs a pearl bank. He gets away and runs for public office, while she is caught and sent to prison. In prison she meets a variety of characters, including a more experienced inmate who takes her under her wing. During the course of the film she discovers she has evidence against Charlie regarding another robbery he committed, and justice is served when he is also sent to prison. This doesn’t secure her own release, however, and at the end of the film Doris has become the more experienced inmate, taking another new naïve inmate under her own wing.
Penguins Behind Bars is eye-catching and humorous, with a lot of puns and visual jokes arising from the creation of a penguin-filled city where things like statues of crustaceans are standard. Parts of the story are told in colorful flashbacks, designed to showcase the dreariness of prison life by comparison. This film is a throwback to the old gangster and prison movies, and a tribute to both them and newer movies such as Chicago.
One of the penguins is murdered, although in a comic way, which is why this is recommended for upper elementary grades and up. Questions for discussion are included on the inside of the case. The animation and technical quality are very good. This film is recommended for any public or school library.