A family of ducks consisting of father Mack, mother Pam, and their offspring Dax and Gwen have never left their New England pond. Mack especially likes peace and quiet. Pam, on the other hand, is bored. So, when a flock of migratory birds stops with fabulous travel stories in their mouths, Pam manages to convince Mack to set off with their children in the direction of Jamaica. However, an unforeseen stopover in New York will disrupt their plans. With Migration (VF), the director ofErnest and CelestineBenjamin Renner, and the creator of the series White LotusMike White, offer a funny, endearing and colorful animated film.
It should be noted that Migration was designed by Illumination studios, to whom we owe the immensely popular saga Despicable Me(Despicable Me), as well as the huge animated success Super Mario Bros.. Only the future will tell if Migration will prance in the same way at the ticket offices, but one thing is certain, this is another success for Illumination.
This success is due in particular to the fact that the comic as well as the dramatic content has something to rally, for different reasons, children and adults. As in the Despicable Methe balance between humor, tension and emotions works well.
It is easy to become attached and identify with any one, or even all four, members of the winged clan. A clan which, along the way, will get lost literally in order to better find itself figuratively.
Many dangers await them, starting with this New York restaurateur known for… his duck à l’orange. Luckily, some unexpected allies will help the migrating ducks, including Chump, a hot-tempered pigeon with a kind nature.
Memorable sequences
After the delicacy exuded by its marvelous Ernest and Celestinea so-called traditional animation with a poetic line, one could have feared that Benjamin Renner would lose his artistic identity in an opulent computer animation project.
Let us rest assured: this is not the case. Renner, who co-imagined the story with Mike White, who wrote the screenplay solo, multiplies the memorable sequences as much for their visual brilliance as for their evocative power. We think, for example, of visual navigation through buildings and urban structures in the middle of smog, or even of the discovery of Times Square and its lights and billboards. Blade Runner. A detour into the kitchen summons the memory of Ratatouillefrom competitor Disney-Pixar.
Aside from the downsides, we may regret a structure that is a bit too episodic. And there is the question of the antagonist, who only arrives late, which precisely reinforces the impression of a story lacking cohesion.
On the other hand, the message is interesting. Namely, a parent can certainly instill their values in their child, but they can also, if they are not careful, transmit their fears to them.
The work on color and textures is also remarkable, from the initial rural context to the lush panoramas at the end, including the urban backdrop of the middle. In short, these are not ugly little ducks at all.