Film Review - Migration
Images courtesy of Universal Pictures.
2023 was a great year for animation. After being well fed, it’s now time to give filmgoers the perfect palate cleanser in the form of Migration.
The latest feature from Illumination, Migration follows a family of mallards who long to see the world outside of their pond, but concerned father Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) is initially hesitant. However, he and his wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks), decide to migrate their family to Jamaica for the winter. Along the way, they get sidetracked at various locations and meet an array of colourful new birds.
The film’s premise may be simple, but it’s one of the main reasons that Migration is an absolute delight. Its simplicity allows the film to be easily understood by children of all ages and puts its focus on the relationship between characters. The dynamic of the Mallards is easily the highlight of Migration as the journey of each character is very active but also just enjoyable to see. Thanks to Mike White’s script, the family’s interactions with one another feel quite genuine and moving at times. In an animated comedy about talking ducks, it’s just a lovely bonus to see a family that really cares about each other.
This makes the film’s overall message very relatable to families, in particular to overprotective parents when it comes to recognising their children’s potential. Nanjiani and Banks’ vocal performances definitely carry that weight of that message in their roles as the parents to two young ducklings. However, the true MVP of Migration may be Tresi Gazal, who portrays Gwen, the youngest in the Mallard family. Her cute voice combined with her hilarious line delivery could be argued for Grazal as having the most fun performance ever in an Illumination film ever. The reign of the Minions is now challenged!
The film’s animation is also a contribution to the success of Migration. While locations such as New York City or a duck farm may not be extraordinary to the audience, it is to these ducks. Therefore, director Benjamin Renner and his animators really put their effort on screen when showing a new, almost wide-eyed perspective during these sequences whether it’s from the camerawork or the naturalistic lighting changes. The film’s colour palette also changes not just drastically, but vibrantly with each location. In a simple scene when the Mallards are flying in the sky, it’s amazing to see the details as they soar through clouds and their feathers are affected by the wind.
However, this is still an Illumination film, and their style of humour is very obvious in Migration. It’s obviously not for everybody, sometimes leaning into the juvenile, but there are a few visual gags that will make even the biggest cynic lightly chuckle. For example, every parent - whether duck or human - can relate to their kids busting for a toilet break during a long trip. Also, ducks dancing the salsa can never not be funny.
Migration is not trying to elevate the road trip comedy or be innovative for animation. Its goal is to entertain families and make kids smile. Movies need to do that more.
Migration is screening in cinemas from Boxing Day. For tickets and more info, click here.