- Starring
- Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito
- Directors
- Benjamin Renner and Gullo Homsy
- Rating
- PG
- Genre
- Animation, Action, Adventure, Family
- Release date
- December 22, 2023
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
Out of the approximately 120 species of ducks worldwide, it’s estimated that about 40 to 50 species are migratory to some extent. The northern pintail (Anas acuta) is particularly notable among these species. Originating from northern regions like Alaska and northern Canada, the migration of individual northern pintails has been recorded to be thousands of miles between their breeding and wintering grounds.
Migration
Mack, his wife Pam, and their children Dax and Gwen live in an idyllic pond, relatively safe from predators and with a plentiful food supply. When a flock of migrating ducks takes a short respite there while on their way to Jamaica, Mack’s family gets bitten by the adventure bug and convinces the nervous mallard to lead them on their own migration to The Land of Wood and Water.
Thanks largely to a sincere family dynamic, more than anything else, Migration is elevated from a barely tolerable direct-to-video cartoon sequel to cute and passably entertaining. Â It’s primarily a story about Mack’s growth as a leader and father, but it flounders at a foundational level and never really takes off.
Mack begins the story as an overprotective paranoid coward, but unlike modern classics like Finding Nemo, in which Nemo’s dad, Marlin, watched his wife and children get slaughtered before his eyes, Mack seems to have no reason other than legitimate concerns about actual dangers that exist outside of their sheltered community.
Although his family is often frustrated with him, the fact of the matter is that he’s shown to be absolutely right throughout the film. The group runs into a multitude of dangers from almost the moment that they leave, and Mack, while not Rambo, never hesitates to attempt to save the day when needed, and he’s almost always successful.
The result is a character growth arc that’s relatively flat and, therefore, never transcends from pratfalls and silly voices to more emotionally poignant and gripping classic family cartoons like The Incredibles. Furthermore, the film hints at what could have been an interesting subplot about children growing into their own but never digs in to give the audience a satisfying sense of catharsis.
The journeyman-level visuals are pretty to look at but never offer anything particularly special or inspired. Likewise, the voice talent is neither distractingly bad nor outstanding. Though each performer probably did as well as any other could have with the builder-grade material. However, Kumail Nanjiani, Keegan Michael-Key, and Awkwafina have all pretty much worn out their shtick at this point, and it’s time for them to grow or stop.
There is one performance that stands out beyond the rest: the one given by the redoubtable Carol Kane, who plays a small but deliciously quirky character, as only she can, early in the film.
While Migration may not be the most original or finely crafted family cartoon, its briskly paced 90 minutes has enough going for it that children will likely enjoy it, and parents won’t wish for a natural disaster to end it all before the end credits run. And it’s still better than Wish.
INAPPROPRIATE ELEMENT FOR CHILDREN IN MIGRATION
Some very intense scenes may not be suitable for all children.
WOKE ELEMENTS
Let me lead with this: even though the film doesn’t always paint the dad in the best light, he is regularly the hero, and his protests of danger (treated as silly paranoia) are almost always correct. Furthermore, the main characters are a strong and loving nuclear family who look to the dad for leadership.
Weak Dad Trope
- The dad is treated as though his regularly proven legitimate protestations are nothing more than him being a coward who wants to stifle his family.
- His character arc is fulfilled when he throws caution to the wind and puts his family in mortal danger on a whim.
- I, for one, am sick of this and took 20 points off just for it.
- His character arc is fulfilled when he throws caution to the wind and puts his family in mortal danger on a whim.
Women Good, Men…Not So Much
- All of the female characters are fierce.
- All of the adult male characters are flawed.
- Weak
- Sloven
- Evil
- Goofy
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
31 comments
Derek
December 29, 2023 at 9:52 am
Appreciate the review! Taking the family to see this today and glad to see there’s nothing absolutely twisted in it like all the Disney films. The minor wokish elements are annoying but at least I don’t have to leave the theater forced to explain mental illness (LGBT) alphabet mafia propaganda to my children.
Seriously, this site has saved me a ton of money. It used to be a dangerous crapshoot of what you’d be walking into. Movies you thought were safe were nothing more than propaganda mediums. Now, I can wait for the reviews and decide what is acceptable.
James Carrick
December 29, 2023 at 10:05 am
Thank you! You have no idea how much it means to know that we’re actually helping people.
Sometimes, it can begin to feel like this is a vanity project that only breeds arguments and complaints. So, learning that a family is benefiting from it is such a blessing.
God bless.
Lizzy
December 29, 2023 at 11:55 am
I hardly comment at websites, like, ever–but wanted to let you know: I lurk at this site all the time and very much appreciate the service being provided. Many of us are silent but we definitely want the information you’ve been sharing! Every time I consider going to the movies, I check here first.
I’ve never cared much for movie reviews before but I’ve also been enjoying the critical analysis in addition to the woke-o-meter.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
James Carrick
December 29, 2023 at 11:59 am
Thank you Lizzy. I needed that.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God bless.
Derek
December 29, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Just finished seeing the movie moments ago. You were spot on with your assessment. I’m truly hoping the studios are learning… well Disney sure isn’t after Iger and Kennedy just stated they would be doubling down on the propaganda. Us serfs will just have to learn what’s good for us it seems.
Eric
March 16, 2024 at 2:40 pm
Y’all are absolutely helping people. Like Derek said, movies are a mine field nowadays. It’s definitely saved me a ton of time. The dumb/weak dad trope is an old one that is up front and center in a ton of 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s sitcoms. Sad but true.
Bradley N Rappa
April 5, 2024 at 10:30 pm
Hey! Just found this and we are another family that is in debt to this kind of website! Thank you so so much!
MattS
April 7, 2024 at 6:15 am
I want to second that James… We’re going to see Migration now, and it’s so encouraging to have this site. Thanks.
Steven
April 30, 2024 at 11:49 am
Dude, if you’re at all able, please never stop doing this. I just found this site but I will be using it regularly and telling my friends. You seem to have the same understanding of exactly what woke crap I’m looking to avoid. Do you make money from this site? I hope you do. If not please let us know how and where we can contribute to keep this going. It’s amazing!
James Carrick
April 30, 2024 at 12:17 pm
Thanks, Steven, and welcome. We’re still pretty new and while we aren’t losing money, we’re still very much a start-up. You can contribute in a number of ways. We have a donation option, a shop, and paid membership options.
Thank you again and God bless.
Steph
January 3, 2024 at 10:17 am
Couldn’t agree more, Derek!!
b
December 29, 2023 at 10:07 am
I expected this but as you say in your review the father is often proven right and the mom even admits he was right and she was wrong so that kind of made it up for me.
Lauren
December 30, 2023 at 12:03 am
Thank you so much for this site. I have 3 young children and I never know if a “children’s” movie is safe anymore or just subtle indoctrination. Thank you! Family in San Diego
Julie
December 31, 2023 at 2:42 am
Thanks so much for this website! I try to avoid “woke” so this is a very helpful review. I also appreciate that the insight. I notice the “men are flawed” more and more in film. Thanks again
Yvonne
January 1, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Just came across this site today.. thank you SO much for the time you put into this work! I spend so much time trying to google if/how woke movies are before we take our toddlers to them.. how nice to have it all in one place now! This Christian mom really appreciates you!
God Bless & have a wonderful New Year!!
Magnus
January 2, 2024 at 10:30 am
Just discovered this site today. This is a huge help!
Scarletnevermore
January 3, 2024 at 4:12 pm
Just found your website. Yes, please! More of this! I really need movie reviews that tell me about the woke parts, esp. the alphabet soup (LGBTQAAIP2+) elements, and MOST especially any trans elements. I have 4 kids 5 and under. I need my son to see movies with strong men; my daughters to see movies where women aren’t constantly trying to supplant men, etc. I need to curate movies that don’t insert aberrant sexual behaviors into kids content, and I definitely need movies that speak to reality (as good fantasy and fiction do), not movies that undermine truth itself (i.e., NO TRANS GARBAGE). Very helpful!
Magnus
January 3, 2024 at 4:58 pm
+1 to that
Cari L.
January 4, 2024 at 4:55 pm
I appreciate your reviews. I always check it out to see if a movie I’m interested in seeing is actually worth it or just a steaming pile of woke trash. This site has been a Godsend for me. Thank you so much!
Mariah
January 7, 2024 at 9:11 pm
Thank you so much for what you do. I don’t get to take my kids to the movies often but when I do, I ALWAYS check this site first. Keep up the good work helping us keep our kids and families wholesome!
Rossy
January 15, 2024 at 11:32 am
Thank you for your insights! I always check here before taking my kids to watch a movie! You are greatly appreciated!
Gordon Danning
January 23, 2024 at 12:59 pm
Just wanted to tell you how much your reviews are appreciated and looked forward to. I love movies and have amassed about 3,000 in my digital collection thus far but have tired of the BS being shoveled into so many of today’s offerings. Accordingly, I now check your reviews prior to making any purchase.
Spring
January 24, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Just found your website today! Thanks for the honest reviews. I will be checking out your website for movies from now on so I am not wasting my money on movies my kids and I have to walk out on.
Ct
January 26, 2024 at 4:41 am
I just stumbled on this website. Thank you so much. It’s a literal minefield out there and I need to research movies before letting my children see it. It’s really exhausting, why can’t movies be like how it was when we were kids. I’ll be visiting this website a lot more in the future. Keep up the awesome work.
Erik
January 30, 2024 at 2:59 pm
Wow, thank you for the clear, frank and accurate woke-o-meter assessment. Nice to find a place that is generally aligned with what I think “woke” means rather than sifting through so many google hits.
Tom weaver
February 1, 2024 at 1:15 am
This movie is pure propoganda. Migrant kids in Europe and America and Canada are going to watch the movie and identify with the migrants with goofy foreign accents. The main villian is a white guy chopping up the ducks and throwing them in ovens. This is going to make the migrants subconsciously hate the white people country they are currently invading or migrating.
Malachi
February 10, 2024 at 6:18 pm
It was one of the rare modern animated movies that actually had a really good pace. It slowed down when it needed to, but had enough action to keep me involved. I agree with your assessment that the character arcs were flat. There were times when the father had genuine concerns that could have saved them a lot of trouble and he was still disregarded by his family. I do admit at the very beginning, his paranoia did hold his family back from initially migrating, but once they had started I think it was perfectly reasonable to be cautious. Afterall, they are flying thousands of miles and seeing environments they had never seen before, being cautious is a reasonable thing to do.
Mike
February 18, 2024 at 8:19 pm
Unbelievable propaganda. Most people don’t know about the CAA – propaganda wing of the CIA – There is a great documentary about it on Cabbagetv.com – As for this Migration movie — the review nailed it
Derek
February 29, 2024 at 11:10 am
Nice Spam attempt.
Hik
March 3, 2024 at 2:43 am
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this
Taking a small kid to a movie these days is risky and having honest reviews like this makes a huge difference
Andreea
March 19, 2024 at 7:32 pm
I always have to google movie themes nowadays before I take my kids to the movies or stream it. This is such a huge help and peace of mind! Thank you!