A family of ducks ends up on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to head south for the winter in Illumination’s animated film Migration.
Mack Mallard (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani) is an overprotective father who has found the perfect place to raise his two young ducklings, Dax and Gwen (voiced by Caspar Jennings and Tresi Gazal), alongside his wife, Pam (voiced by Elizabeth Banks). It’s a lovely, safe area known as Moosehead Lake and has everything they could ever need, including a pond, plenty of food, and even a fixer-up shelter.
The only problem? Pam, Dax, and even little Gwen are starting to become curious about what exists outside their little world. When a group of migrating ducks takes a rest stop at the pond, Pam and Dax strike up a conversation. The Moosehead Lake duck family discovers the traveling strangers are headed to Jamaica, which they describe as a paradise like no other where the water in the ocean glows.
Excited beyond compare, Pam, Dax, and Gwen want to join the traveling ducks, but Mack refuses. “What sort of father would I be if I put my young fowl in harm’s way for no reason, except at a chance for a Caribbean vacation?!” asks Mack.
There’s trouble in Moosehead Lake paradise as Pam replies, “I don’t want to miss out on life because you’re afraid to leave this pond.”
Feeling bad about disappointing his family, Mack has a chat with old Uncle Dan (voiced by Danny DeVito) who gets Mack to realize, unintentionally, that Mack and his family are missing out on experiencing life. Decision made, early the next morning Mack wakes his family to tell them they’re headed to Jamaica for the winter.
Of course, things don’t go as planned on their journey, and they end up getting lost and arriving in New York. Almost at once, the family of mallards is at odds with a gang of pigeons led by Chump (voiced by Awkwafina). But it’s Pam to the rescue, playing the part of a smooth-talking peacemaker. Soon, Chump is willing to take the ducks to see Delroy, a parrot friend of hers who’s from Jamaica and who might be able to give them directions. There’s just one catch: he’s trapped in a cage in a local restaurant.
After successfully sneaking into the restaurant, Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key) offers to be their guide to Jamaica if they can free him from his cage so he can escape the Head Chef of the restaurant – a restaurant that’s main course is duck à l’orange…Oh the horror!
With beautiful animation and a strong voice cast, Migration is a funny, family-friendly adventure featuring hilarious slapstick humor and a solid message about the importance of family and searching for new heights.
Kumail Nanjiani is pitch-perfect as Mack, the helicopter dad who is way, way out of his comfort zone on the journey but only wants to keep his family safe and happy at the same time. Elizabeth Banks is wonderful as the voice of Pam, the matriarch of the family who, like her kids, wants to explore the world and, at the same time, get Mack to spread his duck feathers and be more adventuresome. Banks and Nanjiani create fun chemistry between Pam and Mack.
The animation is breathtaking and is perhaps the best of all Illumination’s films. So many scenes, such as when the family first flies together up among the clouds or when they first enter a fog-entrenched New York, are visually mesmerizing.
Full of whimsical humor, plenty of heart, and stunning animation, Migration is a fun, delightful comedy that’ll keep kids entertained without boring the adults.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG for mild rude humor and action/peril
Running Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
Release Date: December 22, 2023
Directed By: Benjamin Renner
