IMDb RATING
7.1/10
4.3K
YOUR RATING
A fourth-grader, Aoyama-kun, investigates the mysterious reason behind the sudden appearance of penguins in his village, which is somehow related to a power from a young woman working at a d... Read allA fourth-grader, Aoyama-kun, investigates the mysterious reason behind the sudden appearance of penguins in his village, which is somehow related to a power from a young woman working at a dental clinic.A fourth-grader, Aoyama-kun, investigates the mysterious reason behind the sudden appearance of penguins in his village, which is somehow related to a power from a young woman working at a dental clinic.
- Awards
- 4 nominations total
Kana Kita
- Aoyama-kun
- (voice)
Rie Kugimiya
- Uchida-kun
- (voice)
Megumi Han
- Hamamoto-san
- (voice)
Miki Fukui
- Suzuki-kun
- (voice)
Michiyo Murase
- Kobayashi-kun
- (voice)
Takehiro Jizôdô
- Nagasaki-kun
- (voice)
Juri Kimura
- Yoshino-kun
- (voice)
Shûhei Izumi
- Yamaguchi-kun
- (voice)
Minori Ihara
- Katô
- (voice)
Sôshirô Hori
- Ueda
- (voice)
Yukimi Takeuchi
- Newscaster
- (voice)
Daisuke Takahashi
- Reporter
- (voice)
Featured reviews
This is easily one of the most unusual movies you will ever see. I wasn't sure at first what to make of it because it takes its time to get there. Stick with it because your patience will be rewarded. It will seem totally dis-jointed at first but give it time. All I could say is, at the end, what a great piece of story telling. I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and this rivals any of the best from them. If you appreciate great animation and great story this is a must see.
Aoyama is a studious young kid, he loves to research things, weird things and with the help of a couple of school friends and his dentist, he finds something very weird. Penguin energy. Onê-san, the dentist can conjure penguins from thin air. She's no idea why, but together they all try to solve the puzzle. On the way they find an idyllic meadow with a large floating orb of water that seems connected and soon realise that everything is linked by some cosmic phenomenon. It looks gorgeous, the water and lighting in the animation are wonderful. The plot although typical Japanese fantasy holds together really well with a good dose of mystery and some cool ET vibes. Plus it's full of penguins! Culminating in a psychedelic stampede finale as the young heroes vow to save the town from the giant orb and jabberwocky's!
I have no idea what this movie is about... except that it's a fun fantastical romp with PENGUINS! I've a feeling the writer / director thought the general viewing audience would be better mind readers than we actually are. Sorry, haven't mastered video telepathy quite yet. One can guess at the meaning and likely even come up with a logical hypothesis as to what the plot is about. But I think any conjecture will be somewhat subjective.
If you go in for the purpose of seeing a film very reminiscent of Studio Gibli style and subtle nonsensicalness... and if you're in the mood for penguins... this will likely fill the bill. Some parts have excellent animation. Mainly it's just plain fun.
If you go in for the purpose of seeing a film very reminiscent of Studio Gibli style and subtle nonsensicalness... and if you're in the mood for penguins... this will likely fill the bill. Some parts have excellent animation. Mainly it's just plain fun.
I went in with no idea what the movie was about. I was skeptical since I usually have a tough time enjoying anime films and I worried my fiance and daughter would not enjoy it. It was a fabulous ride. The penguin scenes are both wonderous and fantastical. I left satisfied and wanting to purchase a copy to show others.
If this isn't the most adorable film of the year, then I don't know what is. With a beautiful sense of wonder at every moment, brilliant humour, gorgeous animation, a touching emotional core, and an unpredictable mystery, Penguin Highway is one of the biggest surprises I've ever had when it comes to anime, taking fantasy, coming-of-age drama and everything in between and mixing into one immensely entertaining and endlessly delightful movie.
Whatever you're looking for, there's certainly something that you will love about Penguin Highway, and that's testament to the film's incredible depth and diversity of genre, as it goes beyond simple fantasy like some animes, and instead brings both a powerful and riveting emotional story, as well as consistently hilarious humour throughout.
Of all that, it's hard to really pick out what stands out most about Penguin Highway, but what I definitely can't ignore is the film's stunning mystery, which not only proves a hugely entertaining one, but also one that's filled with riveting twists and turns from beginning to end.
A fantasy story filled with wonderment and awe is something that the likes of Studio Ghibli were experts at for decades, but bringing genuine unpredictability into play is something a whole lot more impressive. While the film does a beautiful job at giving you that unparalleled sense of wonder, I was stunned by just how fascinating the central mystery was, and as you follow the diligent Aoyama-kun as he attempts to get to the bottom of why penguins are appearing all over town, the story deepens and deepens to an exceptional extent.
And what's even better is how that side of the story so effortlessly links in with the film's main emotional core, which largely focuses on a coming-of-age story that sees the occasionally precocious Aoyama understand more and more about the world around him - not just through books, but through an incredible and life-changing adventure.
As a result, while the film proves an endlessly entertaining adventure, what really solidifies it as a great piece is the emotional depth it brings to the table. With the wonderful relationship between Aoyama and an older woman at its centre, Penguin Highway is filled to the brim with relatable and heartwarming drama, and as we see the stakes of the investigation rise throughout, the film's emotional power grows accordingly, completely wrapping you up in its wonderful and enthralling world.
While the film excels in its fascinating story and powerful emotional drama, there's always room for the lighter side of things, and Penguin Highway makes no secret about being an immensely adorable film. Apart from the fact that the penguins themselves are insanely cute, the film is full of delightful humour that works brilliantly as a contrast to some of the more theatrical elements.
I was smiling and laughing right the way through here, and thanks to the screenplay's excellent characterisation, as well as a whole host of strong voice performances, you feel so strongly connected to everybody on screen, something that proves enormously effective in making Penguin Highway such a stunning watch.
Overall, I loved every minute of Penguin Highway. It's a hugely entertaining watch, with a surprisingly riveting and unpredictable mystery complemented beautifully by a powerful emotional core and coming-of-age story. Furthered by a brilliant sense of humour, adorable characters, and that typically gorgeous animation that only Japan can produce, it's a film that will have you beaming ear to ear, all the while totally wrapping you up into a deeply engrossed state with its brilliant story.
Whatever you're looking for, there's certainly something that you will love about Penguin Highway, and that's testament to the film's incredible depth and diversity of genre, as it goes beyond simple fantasy like some animes, and instead brings both a powerful and riveting emotional story, as well as consistently hilarious humour throughout.
Of all that, it's hard to really pick out what stands out most about Penguin Highway, but what I definitely can't ignore is the film's stunning mystery, which not only proves a hugely entertaining one, but also one that's filled with riveting twists and turns from beginning to end.
A fantasy story filled with wonderment and awe is something that the likes of Studio Ghibli were experts at for decades, but bringing genuine unpredictability into play is something a whole lot more impressive. While the film does a beautiful job at giving you that unparalleled sense of wonder, I was stunned by just how fascinating the central mystery was, and as you follow the diligent Aoyama-kun as he attempts to get to the bottom of why penguins are appearing all over town, the story deepens and deepens to an exceptional extent.
And what's even better is how that side of the story so effortlessly links in with the film's main emotional core, which largely focuses on a coming-of-age story that sees the occasionally precocious Aoyama understand more and more about the world around him - not just through books, but through an incredible and life-changing adventure.
As a result, while the film proves an endlessly entertaining adventure, what really solidifies it as a great piece is the emotional depth it brings to the table. With the wonderful relationship between Aoyama and an older woman at its centre, Penguin Highway is filled to the brim with relatable and heartwarming drama, and as we see the stakes of the investigation rise throughout, the film's emotional power grows accordingly, completely wrapping you up in its wonderful and enthralling world.
While the film excels in its fascinating story and powerful emotional drama, there's always room for the lighter side of things, and Penguin Highway makes no secret about being an immensely adorable film. Apart from the fact that the penguins themselves are insanely cute, the film is full of delightful humour that works brilliantly as a contrast to some of the more theatrical elements.
I was smiling and laughing right the way through here, and thanks to the screenplay's excellent characterisation, as well as a whole host of strong voice performances, you feel so strongly connected to everybody on screen, something that proves enormously effective in making Penguin Highway such a stunning watch.
Overall, I loved every minute of Penguin Highway. It's a hugely entertaining watch, with a surprisingly riveting and unpredictable mystery complemented beautifully by a powerful emotional core and coming-of-age story. Furthered by a brilliant sense of humour, adorable characters, and that typically gorgeous animation that only Japan can produce, it's a film that will have you beaming ear to ear, all the while totally wrapping you up into a deeply engrossed state with its brilliant story.
Did you know
- TriviaHiroyasu Ishida's directorial film debut.
- GoofsAt 1:30:48 there is a reflection of an ambulance in the glass doors. The individual letters in the word 'AMBULANCE' are facing the right direction (backward), but the letters are in reverse sequence and would incorrectly spell 'ECNALUBMA'.
- ConnectionsReferenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Disney Domination Week (2019)
- SoundtracksGood Night
[Main Theme Song]
Lyrics, Music & Arrangement by Hikaru Utada
Performed by Hikaru Utada
Courtesy of Epic Records Japan Inc.
- How long is Penguin Highway?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Xa Lộ Chim Cánh Cụt
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $104,567
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $22,833
- Apr 14, 2019
- Gross worldwide
- $4,006,647
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.20 : 1
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