A family of ducks try to convince their overprotective father to go on the vacation of a lifetime.
Illumination has been making quality, family-friendly animated films for years. Titles such as “Despicable Me,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Minions,” and “Sing,” to name but a few, and they can now add “Migration” to that impressive list.
“Migration” tells the story of a family of ducks, mother and father Mack and Pam (Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks), and their two kids, Dax and Gwen (Caspar Jennings and Tresi Gazal), who live in Moosehead Pond, somewhere in a New England forest. When they meet a flock of migrating ducks on their way to Jamaica, Dax and Gwen are only too enthusiastic to join them, but Mack forbids them as he fears for their safety outside the pond.
Later that evening, after talking with his aging Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), Mack realizes that life is too short and informs his family that they will migrate to Jamaica after all. Excited at the prospect, the family heads off on their way but ends up sidetracked in New York City, where they meet a flock of pigeons, led by the confrontational Chump (Awkwafina), who introduces them to a caged Scarlet macaw (Keegan-Michael Key), who hails from Jamaica but has been trapped for years. After Mack and Pam help him escape, they continue on their way to Jamaica but deviate from their planned route to help an assortment of chickens and Pekins escape their imprisonment.
Will they ever make it to Jamaica? Of course they will; that’s the movie’s point, but watching them become embroiled in various side adventures makes it all worthwhile. En route, they learn the importance of family, friendship, and never giving up.
The film employs a much more stylized form of animation than previous Illumination productions, making the visuals incredibly vibrant and colorful. A scene in which the ducks fly over a foggy New York City skyline is serenely beautiful and adds excellent detail to what could have been an otherwise conventional presentation. If you’re looking for a film to keep the kids entertained, look no further; “Migration” will hold their attention and teach them some valuable lessons along the way.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and Digital
from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
