By: Brandon Ruggiero

On December 22nd, 2023 Illumination released the Migration movie. I got the chance to watch it for the first time recently on January 27th, 2024. From the first trailer I saw of it, to a preview of it during another movie, I was intrigued by the message and story it conveyed. In such a short minute I was attracted to the scenery, plot, and animation as well. I was so excited to attend the film, and I am so glad I decided to see it before it left the theaters. 

The movie takes place in New England. It is located in a forest where we see a family of ducks habitating for the summer months. Mack Mallard, the father, convinces his kids, Dax and Gwen, to not venture into the real world, which very much displeases his wife and their mom, Pam. They see a group of ducks who are migrating and are on their way to Jamaica. They are invited to come along, however, Mack is hesitant as he wants to protect his kids and wife from the world. Pam wants him to open his eyes to the world, and as a result of the guilt, he ends up giving in and providing them the adventure to Jamaica. However, things go awry when they end up going north instead of south. As they embark on their journey, they take shelter from a storm, and meet a heron named Erin. They continue on their adventure, which ends up getting them in trouble with a group of pigeons, eventually earning their trust and ending up on their good side. Chump, the pigeon, leads them to her friend named Delroy, who can direct them to Jamaica, but in order for that, he has to be set free. By working together they set Delroy free. A chef who owns Delroy and keeps him locked in a cage becomes outraged and seeks revenge upon the ducks. Long story short, they escape the hands of the chef, eventually become trapped by the chef again, break loose again, and finally arrive at their destination in Jamaica. On top of that, they end up seeing the ducks who originally visited their pond in the beginning of the story. At the end of the story it is the following spring, and the family is about to return home, when Dex, one of the children, encounters a group of lost penguins, the family ends up guiding the penguins to the South Pole, which in turn brings an ironic ending to the story. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the message, story, plot, and animation of the movie. I had high expectations when going in to see it, and I came out with my expectations far surpassed. I truly feel this is an enjoyable film to watch. I also think it can be viewed on any occasion. While it was received positively by critics and some fans, some people were dissatisfied with it. An example of a critical review was from Soren Andersen of The Seattle Times who said “the film lacked appeal for older audiences.” Or Jake Coyle of the Associated Press who said, “The story lacked originality and was unoriginal, and it never quite spreads its wings.” In my opinion, whether or not people liked it, I feel it’s a very inspiring and moving movie. Therefore, I definitely recommend this movie. While it’s still in the theaters as of January 30th, I would recommend seeing it, if you haven’t. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. I promise a soaring good time.