My Penguin Friend hearkens back to animal movies of the 90s – wholesome and cleaned up family flicks where an animal trainer was, off-screen, using all sorts of tricks to make a cuddly pet shake hands with a precocious child actor. My Penguin Friend is wise to use this nostalgia to remind viewers of how likeable and crowd-pleasing these films are; the reminiscing distracts audiences away from the lean film’s shaggier qualities (such as briefly animating the penguin or the screenplay over-explaining characters and their actions).

Stretching a true story until the threads show, My Penguin Friend is about the unexpected friendship between a lost penguin, who is given the name Dindim, and a grieving Brazilian, João (action star Jean Reno, dropping the “tough guy” act seen in Ronin and Lift).  Dindim leaves João’s home in Rio de Janeiro every winter to be with its colony in Antarctica, and reunites with João at the same time in June the following year.  The bond receives the attention of locals in João’s community and, soon enough, the world wide web;  including scientists who are watching Dindim’s family and migration patterns.

There isn’t much conflict or plot in My Penguin Friend, other than a close call with the scientists that’s otherwise shrugged off.  This would be more of a criticism if watching Reno and his penguin pal on screen wasn’t so adorably addictive.  The aim of My Penguin Friend is akin to a fluff piece with the intention to humour or charm people – it’s a ray of sunshine that will surely keep families entertained.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie