Nostalgia Nook: The Pebble and the Penguin

In the 90s, Disney Animation was on fire. It kept releasing award-winning and box office topping movies. Other studies tried to capture the Disney magic…several times. Most weren’t as successful as Disney, though they reached their own success. So we have The Pebble and the Penguin.

March of the SPOILERS!


We are introduced to the Adelie penguins, including Hubie (Martin Short), a shy one with a crush on Marina (Annie Golden). She is being courted by many male penguins, including the clearly evil Drake—he’s voiced by Tim Curry, for crying out loud! Anyway, Adelie penguins mate for life and the male penguin presents his chosen female with a pebble. If she wants to mate with him, she accepts it. So Hubie tries to find the perfect pebble for Marina (“Now and Forever”).

In the process, he and Marina actually have a cute night out where they talk (“Sometimes I Wonder”). Hubie then finds a pebble when it falls from the sky—a beautiful emerald. He races to give it to Marina but is blocked by Drake, who wants it for himself. Hubie ends up have to escape from a leopard seal and ends up drifting away from Antarctica, but he still has his pebble.

Hubie wakes up on a ship, in a cage. Other birds in the cargo hold inform him he is on the good ship “Misery” and explain why it upholds that name (“Good Ship Misery”). There, he meets a rockhopper penguin named Rocko (Jim Belushi) and the two become friends. The pebble proves to have magic powers, allowing Hubie to see that Marina is in danger from Drake. He and Rocko break out, escaping the good ship Misery.

They end up on a beach and Rocko wants to stay there, content. But Hubie still wants to get back home. He finds out that Rocko wants to fly and so he claims to know a penguin named Waldo that can fly. Rocko agrees then to go back with Hubie.

Back in Antarctica, Marina is having trouble fending off Drake. He keeps asking her to marry him but she’s certain Hubie will return. Drake can’t believe that Marina would reject him (“Don’t Make Me Laugh”). He then reminds Marina that if she rejects him, she’ll be banished from the group. Marina wonders where Hubie is (“Sometimes I Wonder (Reprise)”).

Rocko and Hubie face their share of struggles to get to Antarctica. Rocko also keeps trying to fly and pressing Hubie for how Waldo does it. Finally, after another encounter with the leopard seal, Hubie comes clean and reveals there is no Waldo. Rocko is mad at first but then comes to respect how much Hubie loves Marina. He agrees to continue helping Hubie, who realizes they are friends—no matter how much Rocko protests the term (“Looks Like I Got Me a Friend”). They continue on to Antarctica but killer whales separate them and Rocko is presumed dead.

Hubie finally makes it back to Antarctica and begins fighting Drake for Marina. It looks hopeless until Rocko appears—and he can fly! Drake suffers a Disney death and Hubie gets the girl. She accepts the pebble, but tells him that she always loved the penguin more (“Now and Forever (Reprise)”). They live happily ever after with Rocko and their flying children.

So that’s the Pebble and the Penguin. Is it a cute story? Yeah. Is it predictable? Hell, yeah. But that’s not too bad. It has cute characters, some danger, Tim Curry and somewhat hummable songs. Songs written by Barry Manilow, actually. In fact, I’m pretty sure he recycled the melody for “Weekend in New England” for “Now and Forever” because I went to the bathroom during one of his concerts and when I came back, all I could hear was the melody at first. I thought it was “Now and Forever.”

Yes, I went to a Barry Manilow concert. It was a lot of fun. Sue me!

Does it hold up? Not really. This is one that Nostalgia goggles are usually the reason for future viewings. But I’ll probably show it to my kids one day. You know, when I find Mr. Right and have children of my own. It’s harmless fun.

Next month: Pocahontas