Funnyman Jim Carrey stars in the latest film from 20th Century Fox, Mr. Popper's Penguins, playing Tom Popper, a New York City real estate mogul who has neglected and alienated his family. Penguins, of course, are the only creatures on Earth that can heal the brokenness of the Popper family as they come into Tom's custody after his father dies in Antarctica, leaving Tom a mysterious crate full of quirky birds who are filled to the brim with mischievous personality.
The film trailer is full of hilarity as Carrey transitions from resenting the birds to eventual acceptance and then love after he introduces them to his family. He chills his apartment to the point of freezing, teaches the crew of birds how to dance, and breaks them out of animal hell – the New York Zoo – after the antagonist captures them and takes them into captivity.
Based on the 1938 children's novel of the same title written by Richard and Florence Atwater, the film takes on a whole new feel as the setting is moved from small town of Stillwater, Oklahoma to the Big Apple. The penguins have such names as Loudy, Lovely, Bitey and Nimrod, with dopey personalities to compliment the cute little titles.
According to film news outlets, Ben Stiller was originally cast to play Tom Popper but he dropped out and Carrey was chosen to replace him over the likes of Owen Wilson and Jack Black. A director change was also made with Mark Waters stepping in after Noah Baumbach backed out of production. The majority of the film was shot on a refrigerated stage using live Gentoo penguins.
Of course there are parallels with Carrey's breakout hits, the Ace Ventura series, as they included plots thick with cute and fun animals. Liar, Liar also comes to mind as Carrey is estranged from his wife and son before being reunited with them in a series of strange circumstances. This is Carrey's first full length film since the remake of A Christmas Carol was released back in 2009, which won him a Kids' Choice Award for Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie.
Mr.Popper's Penguins was originally set to be released in early August but was pulled up to 17 June after the final production took less time than originally planned for, despite all of the earlier casting setbacks.
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