This is way too much fun.
Honestly, they had me at the hilariously Minionized rendition of the famed Universal Studios logo, before the movie even began.
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| This duck family — from left, Uncle Dan, Gwen, Dax, Mack and Pam — is about to have an unexpected encounter with a rowdy flock of pigeons. |
As for the cake itself, director Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy have a winner, with their mirthful saga about a family of ducks that embarks on a supposedly routine endeavour — migration — which gets more chaotic with the flap of every wing. Renner and Mike White’s script deftly balances comedy, peril and family values, armed with a roster of well-sculpted characters brought to life by seasoned voice talent.
(I must mention that Renner shared an Oscar nomination for co-directing 2012’s Ernest & Celestine, one of the finest animated films ever made.)
It can’t be easy to maintain such comic timing over the course of a 92-minute film, but Renner, Homsy and White are up to the challenge. The narrative is divided into distinct chapters and encounters, each cleverly expanding upon what came before, and ultimately building to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
Nervous, overly protective Mack Mallard (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani) hasn’t ever allowed his family to migrate, preferring to remain in the safety of their isolated New England pond. Wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks) has put up with this for years, but now yearns to show the much wider world to their kids: teen son Dax (Caspar Jennings) and duckling daughter Gwen (Tresi Gazal).
Matters come to a head with the brief arrival of another migrating duck family, who share thrilling tales of far-flung places. Dax goes googoo-eyed over their teen daughter, Kim (Isabela Merced), and — when her family departs — that really is the last straw.
So, Mack reluctantly allows himself to be talked into a family trip to Jamaica, via New York City. Cranky Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) agrees to tag along.
Merely getting out of New England proves problematic, with the arrival of a nasty storm; an effort to seek shelter prompts the arrival of Erin the heron (Carol Kane), who absolutely terrifies Dax and Gwen ... because Mack has long filled their heads with scary bedtime stories about carnivorous herons that (gulp!) eat little ducks.
Kane doesn’t help matters any. Her raspy-scary voice is laden with ambiguity and apparent menace, and Erin is animated — and framed, in each scene — in a manner that evokes the gingerbread house witch who hoped to dine on Hansel and Gretel. (Parents with impressionable little ones, be advised; this sequence stretches the film’s PG rating.)
After eventually reaching New York, Uncle Dan — um— runs afoul of a flock of pigeons led by the scrappy Chump (Awkwafina, a total hoot). A squabble over a discarded hero sandwich ultimately concludes peacefully, after Pam and Chump engage in a ferocious bartering duel. The puny pigeon then leads the family to Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key), a Jamaican parrot who’d cheerfully guide them to his native land.
But Delroy is locked in a cage, in the upstairs office of an upscale Manhattan restaurant that specializes in Duck à l’Orange. (Wouldn’t you just know it?)
At which point, we meet this story’s true villain: the restaurant’s hulking, hot-tempered chef, who will stop at nothing while constantly seeking fresh ingredients for his signature dish. He’s terrifying; although he never speaks actual words, French voice actor Boris Rehlinger puts considerable intensity into the guy’s angry grunts, grumbles and grimaces.
The final key character is Goo Goo (David Mitchell), the serenely clueless yogi leader of a paradisiacal duck farm run by an elderly couple. Mack and his family stumble upon this compound entirely by accident, and at first blush the idyllic setting seems an ideal place to relax and recharge one’s wings.
Odd, though, how all the ducks are encouraged to gorge themselves on as much food as possible (once again evoking Hansel and Gretel).
Nanjiani minimizes his frequently whiny, self-deprecating shtick while voicing the excessively cautious Mack. The daddy duck worries a lot — frequently with cause, as these events proceed! — but ultimately is fair, recognizing that every member of the family deserves consideration.
Banks nimbly handles Pam’s persuasive side, always arguing in favor of reasonable compromise. That said, she’s not to be crossed when the chips are down, and is capable of mother-bear ferocity.
DeVito is a hoot as cantankerous Uncle Dan, frequently causing trouble or getting in the way. Jennings makes Dax a typically impetuous teen, oblivious to potential danger; Gazal is adorable as impressionable, wide-eyed little Gwen.
Once Delroy enters these proceedings, however, Key steals the show. The proudly patriotic parrot, with his Jamaican patois, is as dazzling as his colorful feathers.
Matters get quite dire, as we swoop into the third act; each time we think the Mallards have left danger behind ... it strikes again. And ever more dire.
John Powell’s rich score blends orchestral elements with Colombian beats and 1960s French pop vocals; the result adds substantial zip to the story.
Folks seeking family-friendly holiday entertainment can’t do better than this one.
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