disclosure: I was invited to a special screening of Migration in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.
This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Minions, Despicable Me, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets comedies, invites you to take flight into the thrill of the unknown with a funny, feathered family vacation like no other in the action-packed new original comedy, Migration. Migration takes flight as a fun, relatable story of a family of ducks as they contemplate migration. Directed by Benjamin Renner, this new holiday movie soars, offering a fresh, new family movie for the holidays.
One bonus to Migration would be the opening short before the movie, Mooned. Mooned features Vector(from Minions fame) trapped on the Moon and his desperate attempts to make it home. Of course, he is joined by a few of our favorite yellow friends, Minions! Mooned is nothing short of a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon full of slapstick comedy, but will elicit giggles from everyone.
Migration follows the Mallard family, a very relatable family of ducks – the over-protective dad, Mack(Kumail Nanjiani); the mom who desperately needs a vacation, Pam(Elizabeth Banks); and the stereotypical kids – teen son Dax(Caspar Jennings) and duckling daughter Gwen(Tresi Gazal) – as they decide to finally leave the safe pond they have always known and migrate to Jamaica. Easily, this movie could be seen as an animated, family version of National Lampoon’s Vacation. If you think I am kidding, just compare Uncle Dan(Danny DeVito) to Cousin Eddie!
One of Migration’s strongest aspects is its cast. The film stars a top-flight comedic cast led by Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal and Danny DeVito. This line-up has such great chemistry, you will believe they really are a family. With down-to-earth relatability, it’s easy to find a character to bond with. Are you the adventurous type? Maybe the over-protective parent? Angsty teen? Outspoken youngest? Or maybe the know-it-all gang leader pigeon from Brooklyn? Rest assured, no matter who you identify with, this movie will speak to all generations.
Migration also highlights the day-to-day troubles families may encounter: angst, rebellion, fear, embarrassing family members and stagnant marriage. The movie carefully, and subtly tackles these issues and offers hope that all is not doom & gloom. There are silver linings and rainbows out there for all. You just have to be brave enough to look for them.
Migration is a visual spectacle unlike any in Illumination’s acclaimed history, featuring elevated, expressionist artistry and Illumination’s signature subversive humor and authentic heart, unforgettable characters and joyful soundtrack. The attention to detail is not lost in this animated feature. The close-up shots of the ducks offer you the opportunity to see that detail. The feathers actually look feathery, the water is incredibly real looking. I will offer this one spoiler for you.Do not expect to hear Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods – Taylor’s Version” in the movie. OOTWTV only appeared in the trailer. But you can watch it here 🙂
In all, we really enjoyed Migration and would definitely see it again. With a runtime of 91 minutes, Migration is rated PG for action/peril and mild rude humor. Are you taking your family to see Migration this holiday season?
MIGRATION – In Theaters December 22
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | #MigrationMovie
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
