Migration (2023)

​“Migration” stars Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Casper Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, and Danny DeVito. Released on December 22, 2023, the film has a family of ducks going on an adventure during their migration.

The film was directed by Benjamin Renner, who also directed “Ernest & Celestine” and “The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales…”. We always wonder why ducks fly south for the winter. For all of us, it’s due to them migrating from the harsh cold weather. From Illumination’s perspective, they want to spend more time together as a family. After bringing the iconic plumber brothers to the big screen in April, Illumination is heading back to original movie territory with the studio’s latest family-friendly adventure filled with talking birds and road trip mishaps. Considering that the holiday season is about spending time with family, it’s fitting that the folks behind “Despicable Me” would release something like this during the Christmas weekend. After all, they released the “Sing” movies around the same time, which proved successful for their target audience. Was this film able to fly toward those similar heights regarding its quality? Let’s migrate and find out.

The film centers on the Mallard family, who lives with the other mallards in the New England pond. However, the Mallards are different from the rest of the ducks due to Mack (Nanjiani), the anxious father, tending to keep his family safe from the outside world. However, that all changes when adventurous mother Pam (Banks) decides to show their children Dax (Jennings) and Gwen (Gazal) the world beyond the pond after hearing thrilling stories from a migrating duck family. Along with Uncle Dan (DeVito), the Mallards embark on a migrating family trip to Jamaica. Unfortunately, their “vacation” takes a heavy detour when the Mallards are forced to face countless dangers, including a chef seeking to make them his next cuisine. With the help of some new allies, including a pigeon named Chump (Awkwafina), the Mallards attempt to survive their migrating trip while facing trials that’ll bring them closer than ever. 

If you’ve been following Illumination’s film library as I have, you may have noticed that “Migration" is the first original project for the money-making company in seven years. The last time this happened was in 2016 with both “Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing” before they switched gears to make sequels and IP-based properties. So, it’s pretty much a big deal for Illumination regarding whether its audiences would prefer something new over another “Minions” movie. While I didn’t mind some of its follow-ups and IP adaptations, including “Super Mario Bros”, I prefer to see the animation company balance them with more original content to provide more variety in its library. “Migration” looked to be the start of that potential next step, especially since it has a director with two well-received animation projects under his belt. While it may not provide something special in its concept, the film offers just enough for Illumination to take that leap of opportunity.

It bears repeating that if you watched the other Illumination movies, you’d know exactly what to expect from “Migration.” It’s a CGI cartoon that resembles something out of a Looney Tunes short, complete with adorable characters made to sell toys, charming scenarios, and even a heartfelt moment or two. However, the company often falls short of delivering something more than random gags and obnoxious noises when it comes to storytelling. “Minions: The Rise of Gru”, anyone? So far, “Despicable Me” and “Sing” are the only Illumination movies I’ve seen that handled the narrative and entertainment aspects effectively. “Migration” doesn’t quite soar as high as it wanted to regarding the former, but for the latter, it works as a harmlessly entertaining and sublimely gorgeous animated adventure that benefitted solely from Illumination’s strengths and weaknesses.

The story in “Migration” is easily summed up as a family road trip comedy but with mallards. The characters get into crazy situations while traveling from point A to point B and rediscover what’s really important along the way. In this case, the film depicts Mack learning to overcome his fear of the unknown and reconnecting with his family, including Dax. It has the usual trappings we’ve seen numerous times in other road trip movies, but that doesn’t make this movie terrible. Yes, it’s simplistic and predictable. Yes, it holds itself back regarding its themes of fear and family, especially Mack and his lack of explanation for his phobia. But it’s also entertaining and heartfelt to keep young kids and adults distracted, even with its 83-minute runtime. It even has the usual brand of humor that Illumination is known for in its other projects, especially the slapstick and cartoonish expressions. Thankfully, it’s not as repetitive as the humor in the “Minions” movies. Instead, “Migration” uses it to carry the story’s weight, resulting in some amusingly delightful moments that are more endearing than ear-grating.

Illumination also continues its tradition of providing all-star lineups in the company’s films. While some are there due to star power alone, the voice actors make their best intentions to play the studio's fictional characters. “Migration” is unsurprisingly no different, with Kumail Nanjiani leading the pack. Nanjiani has done some impressive work over the years, including “The Big Sick,” so it was nice to see him continue to find work in the film business. Of course, what better way to maintain his success than by voicing an overprotective cartoon duck? As usual, Nanjiani was delightfully entertaining regarding his performance as Mack. Elizabeth Banks and Awkwafina were also decent as Pam and Chump, respectively. However, the ones who stole most of the show were Danny DeVito as Uncle Dan and Tresi Gazal as Gwen, Mack and Pam’s daughter. These side characters had the potential to become the disastrous parts of the road trip regarding their personalities, but they wound up being the opposite. Whether it’s Dan’s curmudgeon attitude or Gwen’s young, innocent mind, these mallards put a duck-billed smile on my face every time they’re on screen.

Finally, we have the animation. “Migration” was Benjamin Renner’s first attempt at directing a computer-animated feature film, as his previous projects were 2D animated. So, the filmmaker had plenty of challenges to accomplish regarding the standards of the format, mainly the ones from Illumination. Thankfully, the studio was kind enough to allow Renner to do his own thing compared to its previous works. Renner’s approach toward its formulaic story was hit-and-miss regarding his direction, but he easily compensated for it with the film’s gorgeous animation. Regarding the vibrant and lively backgrounds, expressive character designs, and cinematography, “Migration” is another example of Illumination’s admirable sense of beauty and liveliness in the colors and cartoonish vibes. The best uses of the movie’s animation are the flight sequences involving the Mallard family, especially their arrival to New York City. These scenes make me feel like I’m part of the action, almost akin to a 3D movie ride at a theme park or, in this case, a Universal Studios theme park. Better get that blueprint ready, Mr. Chris Meledandri. It may not be groundbreaking style-wise, but it shows that the regular CGI presentation may still have some gas left in its tank.

Overall, “Migration” soars at a respectable height to provide a fun, feathery treat for families, even if it doesn’t fly above its traditional narrative clouds. It’s another movie from Illumination that benefitted from the studio’s pros and cons of animation storytelling, which will depend on your expectations. If you expect it to be the next “Despicable Me” narrative-wise, you may not get that from this movie. It offers a predictable yet delightfully diverting road trip plot that’s scared of leaving its comfort zone. However, if you’re looking for a fun, harmless, family-friendly movie that favors entertainment over substance, “Migration” delivers precisely that. With its delightful voice cast, humor, entertaining plot and messages, and stunning animation, the film makes a solid landing as another decent addition to Illumination’s flawed yet heavily charming lineup.

B-