Overview: From the creators of Despicable Me comes an adventure-filled new comedy about overcoming your fears and opening yourself up to the world and its opportunities, filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, authentic heart and unforgettable characters.

The Mallard family embarks on a journey south for the winter to Jamaica via New York City, only for their well-laid plans to go awry, leading to new friends and unknown horizons. Get ready to take flight with a hilariously funny, feathered family vacation like no other!

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the highly-anticipated Migration in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this February 27th, 2024.

For my money, this Migration [4K UHD+BR] combo pack sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Migration presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10 and Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments now being the “I Need To Pee!” clip, where the mother is adamant that they won’t be landing for a toilet break, but then find themselves doing just that; which all culminated in my laughing so hard that I had to do a spit my take!

Another is the “Evil Duck Farm Scene” where Migration Delroy (my own favorite character) takes center stage, but it is Pam leaping into Mack’s arms that is just so damn adorable!

As for the audio, well we get the choice of: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps), and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the story to hand, well, Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me and Sing franchises, is thriving financially, with its Super Mario Bros. Movie being the second-highest grossing film of 2023. However, true respect and acclaim still elude the Minion-spawning animation house.

Migration, a film about a family of ducks, the Mallards, led by Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks, aims to break the labels of cheap gags and stories that appeal to a broad audience. The creative control of Ernest and Celestine co-director Benjamin Renner promises a different approach to other Illumination movies.

Migration’s success can be attributed to its focus on relationships and warmth, which has been absent from much of Illumination’s output since the first Despicable Me. The Mallard family’s journey to Jamaica is a well-crafted film that builds connections between its ducklings, enhancing the plot.

The family’s motivations for leaving their pond and their desire for adventure are relatable, as is the family’s patriarch, Mack, who prioritizes the safety of his children over everything else. When the family faces the challenge of survival in New York City, their perception of the world is challenged.

Despite being set up as a stereotypical family with a stern dad, loving mom, and a brash teenage boy with a cute younger sister, the film ensures an emotional attachment to the ducklings, making it a satisfying and formulaic film. The animation quality in Migration represents an evolution of Illumination’s past work.

The film begins with a beautifully rendered bedtime story, blending hand-drawn and CG elements. The CG journey is characterized by realism, with cliffs tanned with autumn leaves and New York cityscapes painted with concrete coldness and bustling life. The water animation and cloud effects are particularly impressive. These changes do not change Illumination’s identity, but rather create a better version of the typical film.

However, this over-familiarity overshadows much of Migration’s cool new elements. Migration, a 3D animation by Mike White, is a delightful story developed with French animation director Benjamin Renner. Renner, known for his 2012 2D film Ernest and Celestine, has joined Illumination to lead his first studio and 3D animation effort, which is sure to delight fans of ducks.

The Mallard family lives a dependable life in a pond, with dad Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) hesitant to leave his accustomed life. Wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks) encourages him to relax and take their children, Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal), on a trip to Jamaica. After a heart-to-heart with Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), Mack realizes he has been missing life’s essence and agrees to take the family on a life-changing adventure.

Overall, and in closing, Migration is a refreshing film that just wants to be family fun, and that’s the best part of the effort, one that pleases.

Special Features:
FLY HARD (MINI-MOVIE) - Chump sheds her tough-as-nails attitude, risking her life to fly through a blizzard and the harrowing streets of New York to return a prized possession to a kind woman from the park.
MOONED (MINI-MOVIE) - Following the events of DESPICABLE ME, Vector and a lost Minion are stranded on the moon, and struggle to get back to Earth.
MIDNIGHT MISSION (MINI-MOVIE) - The Minions will try anything to help Agnes overcome her fear of the dark, even if it involves going into outer space.
MICROPHONE MADNESS - A fun look behind-the-scenes as the cast record some of their silliest lines.
MEET THE CAST - In this series of behind-the-scenes pieces, we learn more about our favorite characters and the legendary comedic voices behind them.
KUMAIL NANJIANI: MACK
ELIZABETH BANKS: PAM
KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: DELROY
AWKWAFINA: CHUMP
DANNY DEVITO: UNCLE DAN
CAROL KANE: ERIN
CASPAR JENNINGS: DAX & TRESI GAZAL: GWEN
TAKING FLIGHT: THE MAKING OF - MIGRATION is an original script so brand-new characters and locations had to be developed, designed, and animated from scratch! Here, filmmakers and crew break down their process to show us what gives this film an entirely new look and feel.
THE ART OF FLIGHT - Using a series of production phases from storyboards to pre-viz, we peel back the feathers and reveal just what goes in to creating the avian heroes of the film.
THE SOUND OF FLIGHT - Take a closer look at the music of MIGRATION as Composer John Powell walks us through his scoring journey.
HOW TO DRAW
MACK
DELROY
CHUMP
GWEN
BUILD YOUR OWN POP-UP BOOK - Daddy duck, Mack, likes to tell his two little ducklings some…overly imaginative bedtime stories. In this fun “How To” we’ll show you how to create a pop-up book so you can tell your very own bedtime stories!
CALLING ALL BIRDS - They may not have cellphones, but you can call your web-footed friends anytime you want! In this fun How To, we’ll teach you how to create and customize your very own set of colorful bird whistles.
THE MACK QUACK
THE HERON HONK
THE CHUMP CHIRP
BEST NESTS - You don’t have to fly south –or anywhere –to find a perfect paradise for your feathered friends. Here we’ll teach you how to make the best nest for your pet ducks, or anyone flying by, including a water feeder to keep them hydrated!
NESTS
WATER FEEDER