¡Patos!

If there's one thing I took away from Migration (2023), it's that Illumination has finally matured as an animation studio. Sure, just like there's a Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks "style," Illumination has a look to the characters in their movies (especially the humans) that makes them immediately distinguishable. In Migration, there was less of that distinctive style, but the freedom to match what the movie needed to tell its original story about a family adventure. If this is what taking risks looks like, then I think it was a successful foray into more original fare.

The voice acting was superb, mostly because there were only a few characters whose voices were immediately obvious who they were. I do wonder if director Benjamin Renner's previous work, Ernest & Celestine (2012), helped shape some of the voice acting decisions, because they certainly fit the characters well. The animation also feeling closer to a 2D traditionally animated film while still being completely 3D CGI was a nice touch that set it apart from other animated movies (but not quite as extremely as Into the Spider-Verse (2018) or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) have done).

And while the plot wasn't anything to fly home about, the core lessons it was trying to get across were solid enough for any kids watching to understand what it was trying to say. Even the more childish gags that are common for this kind of film were fairly rare, which felt refreshing considering the studio this film came from. Of course, this also was helped by a pretty good villain that drove most of the movie's later conflict. Kids might be scared at a few points, but my daughter seemed to enjoy it overall.

A cute family adventure from Illumination, I give Migration 3.5 stars out of 5.

I'll admit it, even though I am in my early 30s, I still enjoy watching animated movies, and animated shows. Sometimes I think there are certain things with animated films that can't be done with live-action movies, or maybe I'm wrong on that. Anway, Ok, Migration, the duck movie, or is it mallards the preferred word? No idea, not exactly an expert on ducks here, , anyway, I just saw it at my local movie theater, went to a 11:55 am showing, and I'll say this, I felt actually surprised. Does this movie do anything groundbreaking or anything that changes the landscape of animated movies going forward? No. However, I genuinely enjoyed it. Ok, maybe the plot is kind of simple, a few members of a duck family, including the mother duck wants to migrate, to explore the world, to see more outside their pond and see what more whats beyond her pond. The Dad duck, Mack voiced by Kumail Nanjiani , he has so many good lines in this movie. Mack is not really willing or wanting to explore anything behind his pond, his known "comfort zone." The mom duck , Pam, and their kids, Dax, and. Gwen help Mack understand reason they have to. And what happens next is a journey of encounters with friendly or not friendly other animals along the way, madcap adventures, getting lost a few times, along the way, an accidental visit to New York City and a wise-cracking pigeon leader, and so much more, which I promise I will not spoil for anybody who does decide to go see this in the movie theater. I personally had a good time watching it, made me smile, made me laugh, the animation is very good, I like the characters. Danny DeVito voices Uncle Dan, he is such a very funny, caring older Uncle and he usually says whatever comes to mind, he has some good lines too. Elizabeth Banks as Pam, mother duck , is a character who longs to explore a world outside her pond, and wants to have more experiences than just being stuck in one place, I liked her character quite a bit. Dax is a pretty awesome character, he is the younger duck, who keeps wanting to help his Dad and keeps wanting to explore try new things no matter the risk , but keeps getting told, not help, to mostly stay out of the way, until something he does at the end, not going to say anymore on that. And Gwen , is the sister, to Dax, oh my goodness, Gwen is super charming, a huge highlight of the movie I think. Gwen has this moment later in the movie, where she goes to her brother, Dax, and gives him a hug, and keeps hugging him, to comfort her brother, after Dax walks away from his family after something happens. It felt like something an actual sister would do to help comfort her brother, I think. Overall really enjoyed it, wasn't really excepting much going in to see it, felt genuinely surprised, very heartfelt and just a fun good movie. Two thumbs up. Or two webbed feet up?

I think I should rank the animated movies I have seen this year,

1: Boy and the Heron 2: Across the Spider-Verse 3: Migration 4: Teenage Turtle Mutant Turtles Mayhem 5: Super Mario.

I couldn't resist the chance to watch "Migration" ahead of its Boxing Day release date. From start to finish, my love for "Migration" only grew stronger. The film is an absolute delight - it's not just super cute and funny, but it's also packed with heartwarming moments that tug at your emotions. The characters bring such warmth and charm that you can't help but be drawn into their world.

Beyond the humor and cuteness, "Migration" delivers a great message to stop waiting for life to happen to you. The animation is nothing short of fantastic, bringing the story to life with vibrant visuals and captivating sequences. "Migration" is a perfect blend of laughter, heart, and visual brilliance that makes it a must-watch for animation enthusiasts of all ages.

GREAT VALUES, LOVELY STORY, NO EXPLICIT THEMES!! I honestly took a step back when I first saw this. I am ALWAYS extremely critical of movies lately, especially since recently Illumination, Disney, and even a recent Dreamworks movie have fallen flat, but wow!

This is truly a family film that is appealing to ALL audiences. Kids have laughs at gags, adults have entertainment from parenting and general themes, and they even poke fun at grandparents, who still are made out to be cool and fun-loving by the end.

From both a filmmaker and huge movie fan's perspective, it is extremely refreshing to see a kids movie have good values, no explicit themes, and still be very entertaining! The story and plot was well worked out and everything made sense. The music was fantastic (a solid original score, no spammed pop music like most kids movies). The animation was adorable and very enjoyable to watch. It was also super refreshing to see new/underground talents showcased! A lot of less known names but a fantastic job done (especially the voice actors)!

I'm really impressed and wish to express from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making such a great family film, creating a safe space for families to enjoy a movie without oversexualized themed, over the top toilet humor, extreme violence, etc. 9/10!!!

Overall, not a half bad illumination movie.

The movie's environments were beautiful. Easily my favorite part of the movie. I loved the watercolor-esque trees. Also, the designs of some of the humans, especially the main antagonist, are pretty nice and creative. The jokes weren't nearly as "cringey", and landed for the most part. (hah, get it, cause the movies about ducks... migrating). The humor in this movie feels more family-focused, rather than purely for the kids.

As for the negatives, the story is fairly linear, and not too interesting. The overall theme is very obvious, so it isn't too deep. All in all, a typical illumination movie.

Overall, a decent Illumination movie. Just plain family fun. If you want to be fairly entertained, and laugh with your kiddos, this is a good movie.