I had high hopes that Mike White could take his edgy style from THE WHITE LOTUS and somehow translate it into an Illumination family film. That hope was quickly squashed when I realized he would follow the over-protective dad formula made famous by FINDING NEMO and substitute it with birds.
The two elements that soar in MIGRATION are the voice-over actors and the animation. The actors are all game and have fun with their roles. Yet, the script, which includes a sequence directly ripped off from CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET, can’t elevate to bring something new to the genre. Heck, even the animation has its moments, including several beautiful sequences of New York. That breathtaking animation, though, doesn’t replace storytelling.
I’m incredibly thankful that MIGRATION was only eighty-two minutes with credits. Anything longer, and I wouldn’t have made it through this lame duck of a movie.
It’s available in theatres now.
