We all know that birds migrate when the weather changes, but what happens to them once they migrate is something you will only learn after watching them do so in the movie Migration.

In this charming animated adventure, a family of four ducks experience a ‘vacation’ for the first time in their lives. The Mallards, as they are known, are led by an overly cautious dad Mack who is forced by his adventurous wife Pam, teenage son Dax and cute daughter Gwen on an amazing trip, which turns out to be an experience of a lifetime.

Mack (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani) is aware of how ducks are targeted in a world full of predators. He is terrified of something happening to his family and mostly prefers to stay home in a pond in New England. However, a visiting flock of birds change his mind and Mack’s fears go away, for good. However, there is a bad guy in the film, a chef in New York who needs lots of ducks to serve in his restaurant.

How the Mallards take care of the chef and rescue one of their own is something that makes Migration worth your time. If the group of pigeons led by a one-eyed leader Chump, and the salsa dance of Mack and Pam would make you laugh, the crazy couple of herons would add a little horror in an entirely funny movie. The herons were spookier than they looked and sometimes would give a feeling of what they were famous for, eating Mallards.

Karachi-born Kumail Nanjiani leads an ensemble voice cast featuring Awkwafina, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, and the veteran Danny DeVito who passed with ‘flying’ colours. His performance stands out as the terrified father who overcame all his fears and resonates with the audience due to his diverse background and of course talent.

Coming out from Illumination Studios, the ones behind the Despicable Me, and Minions franchises, the trip gives out life-long lessons, such as looks can be deceiving and change of scenery can have a life-changing effect, etc.

It also teaches us one thing; life is worth taking some risks, and trips and vacations are good for family bonding. For kids to grow, parents should allow them to ‘spread their wings’, rather than being overprotective.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 10th, 2024