Migration, all I ever wanted! (CREDIT: Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures)

Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Danny DeVito, Awkwafina, Keegan Michael-Key, David Mithcell, Carol Kane

Director: Benjamin Renner

Running Time: 82 Minutes

Rating: PG for Culinary Cartoon Mayhem

Release Date: December 22, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) and Pam Mallard (Elizabeth Banks) are a couple of homebody ducks. Or at least, Mack is definitely happy in their cozy New England pond, whereas Pam has at least a smidge of wanderlust. Their little ducklings Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal), however, are a heck of a lot more restless than their parents. So they eventually follow the rest of the flock and head south to Jamaica for the winter. But they get a little waylaid as they attempt to make their way through the skyscrapers and relentless traffic of New York City. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters, including an eccentric heron (Carol Kane), a street-smart pigeon (Awkwafina), and a homesick Caribbean parrot (Keegan Michael-Key).

What Made an Impression?: Herons Are So Hot Right Now: Erin the heron isn’t in a whole lot of Migration, but she made more of an impression on me than any of the other fowl creatures. Partly that’s thanks to Carol Kane’s indefatigable loopiness, but I think it also has to do with me recently becoming a fan of this particular avian species in the wake of The Boy and the Heron. Migration is nowhere near as challenging as that latest Hayao Miyazaki feature, but it gets close with its own heron section. It’s an admirably dark moment for an animated family flick from Illumination, as the Mallards fret over the possibility that Gwen is going to eat them. The truth is more comforting, though no less freaky.
Vegans Represent?: Like a lot of talking critter movies, Migration ultimately reveals a clear pro-animal rights message, as the Mallards and their new friends must escape the clutches of haute cuisine. I wondered if the filmmakers were imbuing their own vegan/vegetarian convictions, or if this common trope was just being used as a crutch. It’s worth pointing out at this point that the screenplay was written by Mike White (yes, that Mike White), who is in fact vegan, so this was probably more than just a payday gig for him. The story isn’t exactly breaking the mold by foregrounding the animal perspective, but at least it has enough of a takeaway to elevate it from disposable fluff.
Minion Head Count: For me, the most important question when seeing any new Illumination movie is: how much are the Minions in it? When it’s a new Despicable Me feature, the answer is of course “a lot.” But even in non-Despicable movies, they tend to make a cameo, and in the case of Migration, they play the opening Universal Studios fanfare theme on a kazoo. Plus, there’s a new short that plays before the feature called Mooned that stars a quartet of Minions, as well as Jason Segel reprising his villainous role of Vector from the first film. So, my fellow despicable fans, you’ve got a little holiday treat this year.

Migration is Recommended If You Like: Chicken Run, NYC street food, Caribbean accents from non-Caribbean actors

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Ducks