Successful New York real estate agent Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) receives a crate containing a penguin from Antarctica; that’s where his father recently died⦠and soon Popper gets five more birds! This modern update of a 1938 children’s book is easy to like for families, with Carrey an amusing presence throughout. The penguins, some real, some animated, add to the fun, and Angela Lansbury is a rare treat in movies these days. But Mark Waters’s lackluster portrayal of Popper’s attempts to find a way back into the hearts of his ex and their kids never takes off.
2011-U.S. 95 min. Color. Directed by Mark Waters. Novel: Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater. Cast: Jim Carrey (Tom Popper), Carla Gugino (Amanda Popper), Angela Lansbury (Selma Van Gundy), Ophelia Lovibond, Madeline Carroll, Clark Gregg⦠Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall.
Trivia: Ben Stiller was allegedly first considered for the lead, with Noah Baumbach directing.