The Pebble and the Penguin

The Pebble and the Penguin is a 1995 animated musical family comedy film, based on the true life mating rituals of the Adelie Penguins in Antarctica, produced and directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The film was released to theaters on April 11, 1995 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the United States and internationally by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment. Contents [show]  Plot[edit] Hubie (Martin Short) a shy, gullible but kindhearted penguin, is in love with the beautiful and kind Marina (Annie Golden), but lacks self-confidence leading him to be bullied by the much more impressive, but vain and cruel Drake (Tim Curry), who also wants Marina, but clearly for lust. One night, Hubie and Marina manage to confirm how they feel for each other, but Hubie can't quite find a perfect pebble to propose to Marina with. He wishes on a star to make his dream come true and he receives an Emerald from the sky. Ecstatic, Hubie rushes to find Marina but is stopped by Drake, who demands Hubie to give him the pebble. Hubie refuses, so Drake throws him into the water. Hubie narrowly escapes a leopard seal and climbs on to a piece of ice where he is swept away from Antarctica. Hubie is picked up by humans and caged on their ship, which is transporting penguins to a zoo and meets a tough, grumpy, streetwise and somewhat arrogant but good-hearted rockhopper penguin named Rocko (James Belushi). After seeing in a vision Marina having a dilemma, Hubie decides to escape. Together, he and Rocko flee, and while lying low on a beach. Rocko reluctantly tells Hubie about his desire to fly. He convinces him to help him return to Antarctica by making up a lie about a flying penguin named Waldo. They have a short fight after Rocko tries to fly off "an authentic, ancient aviarial airstrip" and another after Rocko saved Hubie from a killer whale. Back in Antarctica, Drake begins to threaten Marina for her hand in mating. If Marina refuses, she will be forced to leave, as it goes against tradition. Hubie and Rocko attempt to depart, but Rocko discovers Hubie lied to him and attempts to attack Hubie, but soon starts laughing, praising Hubie's determination to get back to Marina. Back in Antarctica, Marina becomes worried about Hubie. Hubie and Rocko run into the hungry and persistent leopard seal but are able to escape it. With that Rocko and Hubie become true friends (though it takes prodding from Hubie for Rocko to admit it). Their joy is short lived as killer whales attack them causing Hubie's emerald to get lost and Rocko to go missing, leaving Hubie to think he perished. Hubie continues on to face Drake. Thanks to Rocko's teachings on fighting, Hubie beats Drake in a fight. Then Rocko comes back, revealing he had survived the whale encounter (and found the emerald Hubie lost in the scuffle). As Hubie makes a proposal to Marina and gains her acceptance, Drake returns to finish the two off. With Rocko's help, Hubie and Marina dodge Drake's giant boulder while Drake himself is crushed by his own tower. During the rescue, Rocko's dream for flight comes true. Rocko gives Hubie his emerald. He presents it to Marina, who loves it. Some time later Rocko teaches Marina and Hubie's children to fly.