Go see this movie. But first, some instructions for families with young children, based on our observations at the movie theater last night:

1) Not all "G" movies are suitable for young children. March of the Penguins received a "G" rating because it has no bombs or explosions or objectionable language, and the only sex in the entire film is penguin sex, shown in a tasteful and restrained manner. (In fact, the restraint puzzled many young children, who, after asking, "What are the penguins doing?" and receiving the answer, "Making baby penguins, now shut up," responded in a puzzled tone, "By rubbing necks? That doesn't make baby penguins!")

Nonetheless, this is not just a cute little movie showing waddling and sliding penguins. This is an actual documentary showing penguins in Antarctica, which is not exactly one of the more fun and safe places on earth. Penguins die. Baby penguins die. Penguins get eaten. Cute fluffy baby penguins get eaten. If you don't think that your children can handle watching Bad Things Happen to Penguins, don't bring them to this film.

And, judging by our audience, at least, most small children do not deal well with Bad Things Happening to Baby Penguins.

2) If your five year old child sees a leopard seal and yells out, "SHARK!" expect the marine biologists nearby to recoil in horror.

3) Leopard seals are not sharks. Here's how you can tell the difference:

A) Leopard seals don't look like sharks.

B) Leopard seals don't have fins. Sharks do.

C) Leopard seals have fur. Sharks don't.

D) Leopard seals have round heads. Sharks don't.

4) If your child has reached the age of five and cannot tell the difference between a leopard seal and a shark, you seriously need to work on that child's education.

5) While we're on the subject, if your child is old enough to have her own cell phone, she is old enough to be told the difference between seals and sharks.

6) While we're on that subject, what cell phone call to a seven year old (different child) could possibly be so important to justify her leaving the theater, falling on someone, and then spilling soda all over someone (luckily not me)?

7) Harry Potter is not an emperor penguin, nor does he resemble one.

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If you can see this without an audience, do: Luc Jacquet, the photographer, has collected some astounding shots here of Antarctica and about 6000 or so emperor penguins. The most incredible shots are the ones showing the lone line of emperor penguins slowly waddling and sliding towards their nesting grounds, and some equally astonishing underwater shots of the penguins diving and eating fish. (This is when the leopard seal shows up to provide some terrifying moments, and this is, bar none, the best footage of a swimming leopard seal that I've ever seen.) Jacquet also managed to get foottage of the penguins huddled up against an Antarctic blizzard, a moment that makes you wince more for the photographers than for the birds. (I'm astounded that the camera survived this moment.)

Some biologists may complain that the penguins have been highly anthropomorphized, and there's some truth to this story: Jacquet has chosen to shape the film so that it becomes a penguin love story, casting the struggle to survive in the Antarctic as an extremely human story of survival. He talks, for example, about penguin families and their love for each other and baby penguins; another observer might note that the penguins have actually created an elaborate nesting/caretaker ritual as the only possible adaptation to the harsh environment and the ever-present danger of leopard seals. Jacquet has clearly fallen in love with baby penguins (and they are just incredibly cute) and the camera lingers on them to show off just how adorable they are.

The film also gave me a clear indication of where I do not want to go in life: after watching this film, I am convinced that the one thing I will never do as a marine biologist is study emperor penguins and leopard seals in their native environment. It's just too damn cold.