Penguins, pandas, and a monkey play supporting roles in these comedies that take viewers around the world. There’s a fancy penthouse in New York City (Mr. Popper’s Penguins), lots of bad behavior in Bangkok (The Hangover Part II), Kung Fu fighting in China (Kung Fu Panda 2), and romance on the streets of Paris, France (Midnight in Paris).
Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Widescreen and Blu-ray)
In this movie based on a 1938 book, a successful New York businessman inherits six penguins that create chaos in his life. Eventually this cold-hearted real-estate developer and every-other-weekend father learns to warm up a little to the creatures, which in turn help him take the chill out of his other relationships as well. This isn’t exactly a fish-out-of-water comedy, but it sure comes close.
- Starring Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury, Ophelia Lovibond, Madeline Carroll, Clark Gregg, Jeffrey Tambor, David Krumholtz, Philip Baker Hall
- Director: Mark Waters
- Writers: Sean Anders, John Morris, Jared Stern (screenplay); Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater (novel)
- Genre: Family Comedy
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- MPAA Rating: PG (for mild rude humor and some language)
- DVD Release Date: December 6, 2011
The Hangover Part II (Widescreen, Blu-ray, and Digital)
The cast from The Hangover returns in this sequel about Stu’s wedding to a Thai-American woman. The group becomes involved in some scandalous situations in Thailand, the most worrisome of which is locating the bride’s brother who mysteriously disappears from the bachelor party. This time around, a monkey, a tattoo, and a shady businessman factor into the outrageous equation. Not quite as funny as the first, this sequel narrowly escapes losing laughs from its dark themes and impoverished surroundings, which mark a distinct contrast to the glittery Las Vegas locale in the original.
- Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, Mike Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Mason Lee, Jamie Chung, Sasha Barrese
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Writers: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips (screenplay); Jon Lucas, Scott More (characters)
- Genre: Comedy
- Run Time: 102 minutes
- MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images)
- DVD Release Date: December 6, 2011
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Widescreen, Blu-ray, Digital, Various Combo Packages)
Although Dragon Warrior Po (the cute chubby panda featured in the first movie) has overcome many obstacles and greatly improved with his martial arts training, he still works toward achieving inner peace. When a nearby town is attacked with a lethal new weapon, Po and his friends come to the rescue. As he faces this new struggle, he realizes he must work even harder to obtain inner peace by not only defeating his current foe, but also coming to terms with his past.
- Starring (voices of) Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Director: Jennifer Yuh
- Writers: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
- Genre: Animated Action Comedy
- Run Time: 91 minutes
- MPAA Rating: PG (for martial arts action and mild violence)
- DVD Release Date: December 13, 2011
- Additional Information: Click here to visit the official website.
Midnight in Paris (Widescreen and Blu-ray)
A writer on vacation in Paris with his fiancée starts to re-evaluate his life after being inspired by his nightly walks along the streets. When he falls in love with the city and wants to move there, his fiancée has different ideas about the permanent location for their married life. This romantic comedy has a fantasy element to it, with daydreams adding greatly to the charm of the story.
- Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody
- Director: Woody Allen
- Writer: Woody Allen
- Genre: Romantic Comedy
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some sexual references and smoking)
- DVD Release Date: December 20, 2011
- Additional Information: Click here to read about more Woody Allen films.
To learn more about any of these films, visit Internet Movie Database.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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