As I begin my final summer vacation ever, I decided to unwind with something lighthearted. Though the film “Migration” was released last year, the trailers I saw on TV piqued my interest. With the anxiety and stress of awaiting my final grades from the past semester, I figured that a children’s film might be the perfect way to calm down and let my mind take a break from the fast-paced demands of law school.

Plot

Image from here

In Moosehead Pond, an anxious Mack Mallard constantly prevents his kids, Dax and Gwen, from exploring the outside world, frustrating his wife, Pam. Their curiosity is piqued when a flock of migrating blue-winged teal ducks pass by en route to Jamaica, but Mack forbids them from joining. After a conversation with Uncle Dan, Mack reconsiders and decides to migrate with his family, including Uncle Dan. They soon encounter various challenges, including a rainstorm that leads them to a swamp where they meet an elderly great blue heron couple, Erin and Harry, who help them. Their journey takes them to New York City, where they face trouble with a flock of pigeons and meet Delroy, a caged Scarlet macaw. The Mallards free Delroy, who then guides them to Jamaica.

The Mallards discover a seemingly perfect paradise that turns out to be a duck farm. After escaping the farm, Dax injures his wings, making him flightless. The birds take refuge at a resort but are soon captured by Delroy’s owner. Aided by Delroy, Uncle Dan, and the ducks, the Mallards manage to overpower the chef and free themselves. Dax, having fixed his wings, leads the birds to Jamaica, where Delroy reunites with his family and the Mallards reconnect with the blue-winged teal ducks. The following spring, as they prepare to head home, Mack decides to help a group of lost penguins reach the South Pole, signaling a new adventure.

Rating: 4.5 🦆 out of 5

First off, I want to highlight the beginning of the film, which caught me completely off guard. Initially, I thought I had accidentally started a different movie. The screen was dark, and suddenly, a kazoo began to play. As the “Universal” logo appeared, it became clear that the film had used the kazoo rendition of the Universal theme. Yes, the film officially started with the Universal theme being played by minions on kazoos. This unexpected and quirky introduction effectively set the tone for the rest of the film, indicating the whimsical and lighthearted nature of what was to come.

I must say that I found the animation throughout the film to be quite impressive. While I am not trained in animation and do not possess a sophisticated understanding of the craft, my observations come from the perspective of an everyday viewer. That said, the animation appeared visually appealing and well-executed to me. The world, or rather the background, was vibrant and felt full of life. There were moments when the focus was on the main characters, but if you glanced at the background, you could see other characters engaging in their own activities. One such instance was when the group was flying; while we were supposed to be focused on the main characters’ dialogue, you could see Gwen and Uncle Dan playing rock-paper-scissors in the background.

One detail I also want to highlight is the choice to keep humans silent, except for one character who sings a song. The film’s villain, Delroy’s owner, who is a chef, also stood out from the other humans due to his exaggerated proportions. Also, I may not be knowledgeable when it comes to famous people, but even I noticed Danny DeVito as Uncle Dan. Unfortunately, he didn’t have many lines in the film, but the ones he did have were (hopefully) worth whatever he was paid.

While I wouldn’t classify this film as a must-watch comedy, there were moments that made me chuckle, and some parts had genuinely good bits. One such moment was when Delroy was leading the birds to Jamaica, confidently claiming they weren’t lost. This immediately cuts to the next scene where they’re in the water, and Delroy admits they might be lost and suggests heading back to New York to start over. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary, as they were already in Jamaica!

Anyways, I do recommend this film if you are looking for something lighthearted and simple to relax to after a stressful day.