Migration movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Migration

This family-friendly animation releases on December 21, 2023 in theaters.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 32 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: C+

IN A NUTSHELL:

It’s directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy. Writing credits also go to Benjamin Renner, as well as Mike White.

It’s already received a nomination for Best Original Score by the HMMA. Keegan-Michael Key recently won the Award for Film Excellence from the MMCG too! Believe it or not, this is the 4^th time he has voiced a bird! Those roles were in The Angry Birds, The Star, and Toy Story 4.

THINGS I LIKED:

Kudos to Keegan-Michael Key on his performance. He’s consistently fantastic in everything he does. If you want to see him in a fun Christmas movie, you should definitely watch Jingle Jangle on Netflix.
Awkwafina has now voiced a bird three times after doing Storks (2016) and The Little Mermaid this year.
It’s great to hear Danny DeVito’s voice in an animation. This is only his 2^nd time working with Illumination since his 2012 movie The Lorax.
I always get a kick out of hearing Carol Kane’s unique voice.
Other talented voices in the cast include Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, David Mitchell, and Caspar Jennings.
There’s a lot of visual humor, in addition to the verbal jokes.
The musical score was composed by John Powell.
The action sequences are almost non-stop.
Viewers will get a kick out of being introduced to a lot of characters during the adventure.
Overall, the movie is family-friendly, and something the whole fam can do during the holidays.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

I was bored within minutes.
I’m REALLY tired of movies that elevate women while simultaneously making men look like buffoons…human or bird.
This is the classic kids’ movie that makes a lot of noise and keeps them distracted while disinterested parents can wash the dishes and clean the house.
So much of the movie is cliched, including the obligatory, happy dance scene celebration at the end of the film.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Some physical violence
Different kinds of weapons are used.
Lots of talk of cooking animals.
Kids might be interested in learning more about Jamaica and where it’s located because of what they see in the film.

THEMES:

Family
Birds
Teamwork
Being open to new things
Having adventures in life
Optimism and having a positive attitude
The animal world

FUNNY LINES:

Gwen: Dax talked to a girl.

Mack: A girl?

Gwen: He wants to marry her.

Dax: What? I didn’t say that!

Gwen: You said it with your eyes.

INTERESTING LINES:

“This isn’t about migration. It’s about adventure.” – Pam (Elizabeth Banks)
“You really need to open your eyes before you miss it all.” – Pam (Elizabeth Banks)
“You never give up on anything.” – Mack (Kumail Nanjiani)
“I don’t want to miss out on life because you’re afraid to leave this pond.” – Pam (Elizabeth Banks)