(from left) Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), Gwen (Tresi Gazal), Dax (Caspar Jennings), Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) and Pam (Elizabeth Banks) in Illumination’s Migration, directed by Benjamin Renner.
Courtney Howard // Film Critic
MIGRATION
Rated PG, 1 hour and 22 minutes
Directed by: Benjamin Renner, Guylo Homsy
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, Carol Kane
Though MIGRATION plays more than a few familiar notes when it comes to its themes and narrative, what cleverness it sneaks in adds a refreshing twist on the ordinary and expected. A plot centered on parental panic that leads to an inevitable climactic rescue sequence would be rendered rote if it not for director Benjamin Renner, co-director Guylo Homsy and screenwriter Mike White remixing and rearranging the rhythms of these story beats. A perfect blend of humor and heart, this is the surprise of the holiday season.
Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) is perfectly content living in Moosehead Pond, an idyllic forest reserve in the American Northeast. It’s a peaceful place with no threatening worries – a heavenly sanctuary where he and his family have contentedly stayed put through the changing seasons year after year. Yet, when a new flock sells them on the idea of joining them on a Jamaican vacation, Mack’s wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks), intrepid teen son Dax (Caspar Jennings) and young daughter Gwen (Tresi Gazal) grow eager to spread their wings and migrate for the first time in their lives.
While Mack is initially hesitant, his opinion changes upon realizing he’d do more harm keeping them in one place. So they pack up and head out with Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) in tow. The Mallards instantly experience problems, starting with an unnerving layover at a kooky heron’s (Carol Kane) house in a tense sequence that plays like it’s SPEAK NO EVIL But For Kids. It pivots back into family-friendly territory, naturally, but not before serving as a lesson on prejudice. As the family continues their trip south for the winter, they unwittingly discover themselves navigating New York City. They befriend a bossy pigeon (Awkwafina), and a distraught parrot (Keegan-Michael Key) who’s been caged by a demented, ostentatious chef. Hijinks and hilarity ensue.
The filmmakers neither underestimate nor undermine their audiences’ intelligence, crafting a story that holds hefty emotional resonance for both adults and kids, some of whom may also be experiencing anxiety while stepping out of their own comfort zones. From the commentary directed at over-protective fathers clinging too tightly (not far off from THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2’s thematic thread) to the subtle sentiments on displacement caused by enslavement, White’s screenplay is bolstered by its subtext – which is all-too-often absent from Illumination films that value pratfalls and noisy action above all else.
This picture takes care in properly developing its characters and their interpersonal relationships. The filmmakers flip the script during the climax, showing that kids are a lot more savvy and strong than their parents think. Plus, it’s refreshing to see it’s not solely about the family learning to fix their fissures, and one father’s quest to break free from fear, but also about the parents re-engaging with each other to make their family (and community) better.
MIGRATION is the studio’s most gorgeous picture yet, replicating the warm autumnal palette on the leaves, the beautifully seductive glow of the concrete jungle’s neon signage and the feeling of flight through candy floss-like clouds. The animators give these birds a wide range of expressions and textured, dimensional backdrops. Mood and tone are handled brilliantly through John Powell’s score and color shifts in the cinematography.
Action-forward segments in the first and second act soar, specifically the Mallards’ carefree flight through the clouds, where we feel their sense of freedom – which soon turns to fear and confusion as they accidently drift into the city, dodging cars and buildings. The sequence where the family mistakes a free-range slaughter farm for a welcoming waterpark paradise houses comedic layers, brought out by the chorus of quacking ducks in the score. While the third act involving the chef pursuing the Mallards and their new friends is a little pat, the way it wraps up the journey is ultimately sweet and satiating.
Grade: B–
MIGRATION will be in theaters starting on December 22.
