MIGRATION 4K UHD Review

Migration(2023) is the latest fun offering from Illumination Studios, the producers behind Minions and the Despicable Me films.

The Production: 3.5/5

A family of ducks is at the center of Migration, the latest feature offering from Illumination Studios(Despicable Me).  Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks play the voices of Mack and Pam, a duck couple with their own offspring, Gwen(Tresi Gazal) and Dax(Caspar Jennings).  This duck family also has a crazy uncle Dan, voiced by Danny DeVito.  The voice cast also includes Carol Kane, Keegan-Michael Key, and Awkwafina.

Mack and Pam are happy and content in their home in Moosehead Pond until their children meet a flock heading for the winter to Jamaica.  Mack is averse to taking any risks for himself and his family, but the spirit of adventure takes sway over the other members of the family until Mack is coaxed into a journey to Jamaica.

The trip to Jamaica is peppered with interesting and dangerous episodes.  At one point, the family is taken in by a couple of herons for dinner, and the ducks are afraid that they will be the dinner.  The flock also find themselves in the big city, where they meet Delroy(Keegan-Michael Key), a Jamaican macaw which they liberate from his imprisonment so that he can guide them to the Caribbean.  In doing so, they make an enemy of a murderous chef who pursues them on their quest.

Although I enjoy animated films from Illumination Studios, I came into Migration with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.  The character design appears somewhat generic at first glance, however, the animators and writers succeed in making the characters come alive with wonderful personality and movement.  The plot of Migration is a series of comic episodes that join together the chapters of their journey south.  There is even some character growth, especially for Mack as he learns that the rewards of trying new experiences are worth the risks for himself and his family.

Migration is a fun film for all ages that gives the adults enough to enjoy with the kids.  At a running time of 83 minutes, it never overstays its welcome but may leave you wanting more.

Video: 5/5

3D Rating: NA

Migration appears on 4K disc in its original 2.39:1 screen aspect ratio via the HEVC codec.  The color scheme enhanced with HDR really pops, as may be evident in the screen grabs accompanying this review.  The three-dimensional animation shows an abundance of fine detail in 2160p.  The 4K disc provides a sublime presentation of the film.

Audio: 4/5

The English Dolby Atmos track plays by default on 4K, with Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 Dolby Digital also available as options.  The Dolby Atmos audio makes nice use of the full soundstage with ambient sounds throughout with directional audio employed well at certain times.  Dialogue is always crisp and audible over sound effects and the music score by John Powell(Happy Feet, Ferdinand).

Special Features: 4.5/5

Special features include all of the following on the 4K disc:

Fly Hard(4:01): Chump(Awkwafina) is featured in this mini-movie in which she flies through a blizzard in New York City.

Mooned(8:40):  How does a minion stranded on the moon with Vector get back to Earth?  This mini-movies shows how.

Midnight Mission(4:52):  Featuring Agnes and the Minions from Despicable Me.

Microphone Madness(3:11):  Behind the scenes with the voice actors as they ad-lib and flub their lines.

Meet The Cast:  Featurettes for Kumail Nanjiani: Mack(2:06), Elizabeth Banks: Pam(1:47), Keegan-Michael Key: Delroy(2:27), Awkwafina: Chump(2:13), Danny DeVito: Uncle Dan(2:09), Carol Kane: Erin(2:09), and Caspar Jennings: Dax & Tresi Gazal: Gwen(2:49).

Taking Flight: The Making of Migration(5:29):  Producer Chris Meledandri talks about the 4 year process in bringing the characters of Migration to the silver screen.

The Art of Flight(1:58):  This highlights the evolution from storyboards to animation for the characters’ flight style in Migration.

The Sound of Flight(2:57):  Composer John Powell talks about creation of his dynamic music score for Migration.

How To Draw:  The kids (and some adults) may enjoy these featurettes on how to draw the characters of Migration.  This is in chapters for Mack(4:06), Delroy(2:37), Chump(3:07), and Gwen(2:01).

Build Your Own Pop-Up Book(11:07):  This is a creative activity for the kids to follow along to create their own pop-up books

Calling All Birds:  This consists of two featurettes showing the kids how to design noisemakers for The Mack Quack(2:38), The Heron Honk(1:29), and The Chump Chirp(1:25).

Best Nests:  These featurettes show how to design Nests(3:48) and a Water Feeder(1:55).

Also included is a blu-ray disc of the film and a paper insert with validation code for digital download of the film via the MoviesAnywhere app.

Overall: 4/5

I should know better than to doubt the film studio that created the Minions films.  Migration surpassed my low expectations with engaging characters, various misadventures, and a spirit of fun permeating the film.  The video and audio presentation is exceptional.  There is also a wealth of special features, with the Mini-Movies being mandatory viewing.  Migration did not overstay its welcome, and its 83 minute running time left me wanting to see more of these characters.  Your mileage may vary, but if the Despicable Me films appeal to you, then Migration might just tickle your fancy as it did for me.

Timothy E

Timothy has worked background in theatrical features and television, just for the fun of it, in films directed by Peter Segal and Christopher Nolan. His favorite film star is Bugs Bunny, and Timothy has discovered that most of the problems in life can be solved successfully (strangely enough) by asking “What would Bugs Bunny do?” Timothy has been involved with the Home Theater Forum since 2007 and has reported from Comic Con, interviewed Bruce Campbell and Danny Trejo, and reviewed classic animation and new theatrical releases on disc.