One of the most endearing and captivating things about Werner Herzog is his lovely voice, accentuated by his uniquely staccato German accent; every query and insight brought forth by his narration and investigation are sent soaring by the near adolescent curiosity implicit in his tone.

In recent years documentary film-makers like Nick Broomfield (HEIDI FLEISS: HOLLYWOOD MADAM), Michael Moore (SICKO), and Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) have used their likable personalities as an added value to their product. And to many documentary purists, and to many film lovers in general, this trend of directors hoisting themselves upon the documentary to the point of becoming the main character in the film (known as Les Nouvelles Egotistes), is none too popular.

But, what separates Werner Herzog, is the fact that he is a great film-maker first, a great detective second, and ultimately a great character third. It’s not unfair to say this first element, being a great film-maker, is what’s missing in most modern documentary makers.

If the director of a documentary is a navigator, leading the viewer on an adventure, a journey, in search of untold adventures in art, history, and science; a detective investigating a mystery, searching for clues to secrets untold, crimes unsolved, one would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable and engaging pair of eyes and ears than Werner Herzog.

When Werner Herzog was invited to make a film about Antarctica, he insisted his film would not be another film about penguins.

Herzog would be stationed out of McMurdo Sound. This is not a home base composed of tents and shanty outposts, cautiously fortified against the elements. No, McMurdo looks and feels and exists as any small town in America, with a bowling alley, yoga studios, bars, even it’s own radio station. Only this “small town” is inhabited by scientists.

Right off the bat, Werner is dismayed by the sunny, clear weather. He had envisioned snow banks and white outs. “I loath the sun on my skin and on my celluloid.”

But, soon enough the snow comes. And further dismayed by the very existence of a yoga studio, Werner aches to flee McMurdo and head out into the wild and experience the real Antarctica. “One of the best descriptions of hunger is a loaf of bread, and the best description of freedom is the ability to travel.”

We meet a group of biologists and photographers who practically live beneath the ice in liquid space, studying, examining and photographing some of the most bizarre creatures on earth.

One of the biologist/photographers is a pensive, darkly hued man who almost seems to be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. He has lived and breathed this life for so long, and in so doing has come to internalize and deeply understand the darker, violent nature of sea life. He says the life beneath the ice is so horrible and ugly, if given the opportunity to escape, these creatures would do so. This leads Herzog to inquire as to whether the good scientist believes this to be the original impetus for man to crawl from the sea upon the shore billions of years ago. The answer is yes.

There’s the linguist who lives in McMurdo tending to a greenhouse. He says, “a linguist living in a land with no languages”. The linguist says he was driven to Antarctica by his desire to escape the myopic world that believes in order to advance in society, a culture’s language must be left to extinguish and die.

Another tells of her former life as a social worker in third world countries, and tells so many stories as to be time-lapsed. Like the story of how she once traveled from Peru to Ecuador via a sewer pipe.

And there’s a volcano in Antarctica! Herzog includes some amazing footage of an excavation from the 1970's of scientists actually plummeting down into the active volcano.

Encounters at the End of the World is the story of Antarctica Now; inhabited by creatures primordial and creatures modern; all blinding in their brilliance.

These odd, compelling, and unique men and women are studying where we are from and where we are going.

Alas, Werner Herzog does visit a penguin colony. But, March of the Penguins this is not. For what Herzog discovers via yet another brooding and introspective scientist, is a penguin community deep in sexual and psychological disarray. Loneliness, depression, and prostitution. Yes, prostitution (see the film).