Pebble and the Penguin, The MPAA Rating: G Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: +3 1/2

This is a delightful, full length animated tale of a penguin named Hubie (voice of Martin Short) and his quest to marry the love of his life, Marina (voice of Annie Golden). To do so, he must seek out the most beautiful and unique pebble he can find and give it to her. While the other bachelor penguins find appropriate pebbles, only Hubie is unsuccessful. He makes a wish on the evening star and a meteorite pebble magically falls from the sky. Thinking he can now wed Marina, the lovesick penguin hopes to give her the precious stone immediately. But before he can, the villainous penguin, Drake (voice of Tim Curry), attacks Hubie and throws him to a leopard seal. Narrowly escaping death, Hubie wakes up three days later on a ship bound for the zoo. It is here he meets the friend of a lifetime, a Rockhopper penguin named Rocko (voice of Jim Belushi). And as the two make their way back to Antarctica and Marina, they slowly recognize their need for one another. THE PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN probably won't win any awards, but it is a charming Saturday morning kind of cartoon movie for young children.

The penguins' journey takes them through many dangerous adventures. They must escape the ferocious jaws of leopard seals and killer whales. For younger viewers these scenes might be somewhat intense. But more menacing is the villain Drake, who looks more like a wolf than a mere evil penguin. When Rocko and Hubie finally arrive back home, they must face Drake and put an end to his dastardly reign of terror. This confrontation is the only time deadly violence occurs, with the death of Drake implied. There is no offensive language in the dialogue, and the only suggestive element is a kissing scene in which Marina falls on top of Hubie. However, Marina falling for Hubie's goodness and not Drake's suave personality does teach some values. Overall, THE PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN offers wholesome entertainment for the younger set. A 5-minute PINK PANTHER cartoon accompanies this film which shows a voo-doo cab driver performing magic on the traffic and the Pink Panther.

Preview Reviewer: Sherry Oswald
Distributor: MGM/UA Dist., 1111 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 9002