Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Awkwafina, Carol Kane, Keegan-Michael Key, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, David Mitchell
OUR RATING: ★★★½
Story: Illumination animated adventure comedy directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy. Migration (2023) follows the Mallards, a family of ducks. While cautious dad Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) prefers staying in their New England pond forever, adventurous mom Pam (Elizabeth Banks) is eager to shake things up and show their two kids the whole wide world. After she persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica, their journey soon goes off course.
Where to Watch:
Pam: The heron saw that they were lost, so she offered to help them.
Mack: Pam, it’s a heron. A psycho killer designed to eat ducklings.
Mack: Squished ducks, they can achieve great things too.
Pam: Every time you tell a story, Gwen wets her twig bed.
Mack: Does she? That’s great. See? That means she’s learning, Pam.
Gwen: He told her he wants to marry her.
Dax: What?! I didn’t say that!
Gwen: You said it with your eyes.
Gwen: [to Dax as they watch Kim and her family fly off] I’m so sorry you can’t have babies with her.
Mack: Migration? What a stupid idea.
Pam: Okay. You’re impossible.
Mack: Why? Because I found a safe place for us to live and we’re happy here?
Gwen: Yeah. I want to go to Jamai… Jam… J… Where they make jam.
Mack: What sort of father would I be if I put my young fowl in harm’s way for no reason, except a chance at a Caribbean vacation?
Pam: A father who knows it’s important for his kids to see other parts of the world.
Pam: Mack, I don’t want to miss out on life because you’re afraid to leave this pond. This isn’t about migration. It’s about adventure. Seeing what else life has to offer. Is that a little scary? Sure. But isn’t it worth it?
Mack: No, Pam. Not really.
Uncle Dan: Stick to your beliefs, kid. Don’t change for anyone.
Mack: Exactly.
Uncle Dan: And you’ll end up just like me. Happy. Healthy. And totally alone!
Mack: Yeah! Wait. What?
Uncle Dan: That’s right. You’ll be living the dream.
Mack: [after he’s told them they’re migrating] Ha! Bet you didn’t see that coming.
Pam: Are you serious?
Mack: Yep. An adventure into the totally unknown. And I’m going to love it.
Pam: [to Mack] I knew there was some adventure left in you.
Uncle Dan: [as the family is huddled in a tree trunk for shelter] We’re not going to make it, are we?
Pam: Uncle Dan!
Uncle Dan: You can tell me. I don’t mind. I’m a big boy. I’m a big duck.
Mack: This is the kind of thing we’ll remember for years to come. We’ll look back and laugh.
Mack: [to Erin] Oh, we don’t want to be a bother. You look busy decaying.
Uncle Dan: [referring to Erin, who is a heron] What do they do, rip you apart, then eat you?
Pam: Dan!
Uncle Dan: I don’t know how they do it. What’s the method?
Pam: Hey. Zip it.
Uncle Dan: Wake me up when it’s my turn to be eaten.
Pam: [to Erin, referring to the frying pab] Hey, feel this. Even comfier than our own nest.
Mack: Yeah, sure. It’s greasier too. Oh! Looks like your last guest is still here. And dead.
Erin: Are you sure you have to go already? I’ll miss your kids so much. They are so adorable. And you taste so good. Maybe I’ll eat you. I’m kidding. Or am I?
Mack: Huh?
Gwen: What if something ate Uncle Dan?
Pam: Honey, I promise you, nothing would ever want to eat Uncle Dan.
Mack: Let the record reflect I just meant to say “trashy vermin”. Which I’m not saying that’s good, but I wasn’t doubling down on “trashy”, vermin.
Mack: So listen, Chump.
Chump: What did you just call me?
Mack: Sorry. I thought your name was Chump.
Chump: Yeah. Chump. Yeah. That’s my name. Why?
Mack: Right. So listen, Chump.
Chump: What did you just call me?!
Mack: I’m sorry. Is everyone else hearing Chump or…?
Pam: [referring to Mack] Hi, there. I’m Pam. I’m sharing my life with him, so I’m painfully aware of all the stupid things that come out of his mouth.
Pam: We are completely lost. We’re trying to get to Jamaica.
Chump: Oh, yeah. Yeah. That’s in Queens, right?
Pam: More south. Like the Caribbean.
Chump: Oh, that Jamaica.
Mack: Are you kidding? We are not flying through this crazy death trap of a city again.
Chump: Oh, come on. It’s nothing. Just stick close to me, and everything will be alright.
[suddenly gets hit by a bus]
Chump: [to the Mallards after she gets hit by a scooter] Maybe you don’t stick too close.
Chump: A chef. Like a predator except instead of eating you, he feeds you to a group of much lazier predators.
Delroy: [referring to the chef] And trust me, you don’t want to go anywhere near that lunatic. Him catch you, him turn you into Duck à l’Orange.
Gwen: What’s Duck á l’Orange?
Chump: It’s you, with l’Orange on top.
Dax: [to Mack] Just because you’re scared of everything in the world doesn’t mean I have to be.
Mack: We’re doomed!
Pam: Don’t panic, Mack.
Mack: I can’t help it. It relaxes me.
Delroy: You must be the bravest duck me ever meet.
Mack: Oh, I’m not that brave.
Delroy: What?! You knew the danger. You did it anyway. What do you call that?
Mack: Yeah, you’re right. I guess that is the only word that describes who I am.
Delroy: [referring to Jamaica] Whatever you’re expecting over there, it’s going to be even better.
Gwen: [referring to pooping] Mom, I can’t do it here. Can we land?
Pam: No, we won’t land, Gwen. You’re old enough to do it in the sky now.
Gwen: But it’s too much pressure, and it’s gross.
Pam: It’s not gross. We’re birds. Every bird does it in the sky.
Delroy: [to Mack] I like your spirit, duck man.
GooGoo: My friends, welcome to the Garden of Harmony.
Pam: I don’t understand. It’s…
GooGoo: Heaven for ducks? Yep, pretty much.
Mack: I don’t think we can possibly stay here, without having the best time of our lives! Now, get out there and have some fun.
Dax: Everyone, get off the truck unless you want to be cooked!
Gwen: [after she hugs him] Do you feel better?
Dax: No.
Gwen: Then it hasn’t kicked in yet.
Gwen: He’s going to cook Mom and Dad, isn’t he? And he’s going to come back for us. And he’ll cook us, too! I wish we tasted awful!
Mack: We are not getting cooked today!
Pam: Mack, we’ve lost the kids. You were right. We never ever should have left the pond.
Mack: Pam, enough. This isn’t you. You’re the adventurous one. The brave one. You never give up on anything. You haven’t even given up on me. Come on, Pam. You’ve proven over and over again that when everything is hopeless, we have to be…
Pam: Optimistic.
Mack: Now you and me are going to get our kids back so we can finish this crazy, wonderful adventure. And we are going to show them that when danger strikes, you do not run from it. You take a stand.
Delroy: You trap me for years, now you’re trying to cook my friends? Enough! It is payback time!
Mack: [after they arrive in Jamaica] Thank you.
Pam: For what?
Mack: Opening my eyes.
Mack: Come on, Pam. We’re going to the South Pole.
Pam: I’ve created a monster.