Migration
The latest film produced by Illumination, and the studio’s first original project since 2016, Migration follows a family of mallards who, as the title suggests, attempt to migrate south to Jamaica for the winter. The ducks are eager to leave their small pond and see the wider world – except for overprotective father Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) – but the titular migration quickly veers off-course, and the family faces more than a few detours on the way to the Caribbean.
It’s a pretty straightforward premise, but Migration wears it well, using the simplicity of its story as a means to focus on developing its characters and facilitating some fun set pieces.
Migration’s writing is snappy and engaging, using its smaller narrative scope to give each member of the mallard family their fair share of time in the spotlight, and giving its small cast some small but perfectly-formed character journeys – ideal for a younger audience, but also accommodating of parents and guardians.
It’s also got some strong comedic chops, balancing humour and character work effectively and managing to play somewhat fast and loose with its jokes without becoming overbearing. The diverse locales help in this regard – the action often doesn’t stay in one place long enough for a bit to wear out its welcome, so the gags that do find their way into the script flow with the story seamlessly. The piece’s comedic flow is also helped greatly by its talented voice cast, with actors like Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key and Danny DeVito bringing some star power to the flick, serving the jokes without over-selling them and leaving some room for pathos.
Migration also boasts some tremendous visual flair, taking its audience on a complex and colourful journey across America. Each scene has a distinct palette and memorable identity, with gorgeous environments and cinematography that convey a real sense of scale, bringing out the beauty of nature as well as the unfamiliar in familiar human spaces.
These strong visuals and camera work also carry through to the action scenes, and the flick makes the most of its diverse settings to deliver some genuinely wonderful and dynamic moments, with each set piece feeling distinctive and exciting.
Overall, Migration is a delightful film, telling an uncomplicated story effectively, with heaps of heart and impressive amounts of style. Its focused, character-centric story feels like it marks a maturation in Illumination’s production quality, and producer Chris Meledandri’s decision to allow director Benjamin Renner to guide the project more closely has paid off immensely.
Umar Ali
Migration is released nationwide on 2nd February 2024.
Watch the trailer for Migration here:
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