Penguin World

Although Smithsonian World has presented some fine programs (A Moveable Feast and A Certain Age, for example, reviewed in our April 1991 and December 1991 issues, respectively), not all of the Smithsonian Institution productions are top-notch efforts. Penguin World looks at the 17 species of penguins and their neighbors (sea lions, humpback whales, cormorants, dolphins, etc.) which are found in the Southern Hemisphere, ranging from the southern tip of Argentina down to Antarctica and back up to the Australia/New Zealand area. The problem is that Penguin World takes the approach of a Sears & Roebuck's catalog: each specie (product) is shown, while a narrator delivers one or two salient features about the critter (advertising blurb). Except for the opening, which delivers about 10 screens of text to read, there is no guiding principle as to the organization here (and the program ends as abruptly as it begins). Too, the "sound bite" and the footage don't always jibe. After being told that the Rockhopper Penguin can scale "sheer cliff faces" by hopping from rock to rock, we're treateed to a shot of what looks like a business penguin standing on a corner waiting for the bus. Combining film and video footage, Penguin World is nice to look at, but it works more like a skimpy reference video than a compelling documentary. Not a necessary purchase. (See ANIMATED MUSICAL STORIES & SONGS 4 KIDS IN 3 DIMENSIONS for availability.)