Ever wonder where babies come from? The Warner Animation Group seem to have the answer to such a queary, in the new animated feature “Storks”. Storks deliver babies… or at least they used to during a simpler time. Now they deliver packages for global internet giant Cornerstore.com. Junior (Andy Samberg), the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before their boss Hunter (Kelsey Grammer) gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip (Katie Crown), the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop, in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world. “Storks” also stars Jennifer Anniston, Keegan Michael-Key and Danny Trejo, is written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, and is rated PG for mild action and some thematic elements.
Warner Brothers Studios delivers a welcoming addition to an already exceptional year of animated films, with its latest feature “Storks”. Clocking in at 77 enjoyable minutes, this film cuts out most of the tired cliches with kids movies these days by supplying an irresistable blend of heart-tugging family values with irresistably charming voice work that never disappoints. I was pleasantly surprised with just how much this movie’s silly theme resonated with the very subtle message to these birds serving as guardian angels of sorts to these families needing that one thing to complete them. Beginning with a Lego movie short to kick off the right kind of comedic tempo for the following presentation, “Storks” carries the ball even further, traveling long distances full of beautiful animation and volume in character traits to make this one a gem for the whole family. The greatest kinds of animated films offer something for every age bracket, therefore granting an enjoyable experience for everyone who is dragged to see it.
The animation is top notch here. Warner Brothers Animations take a picture out of Pixar’s book by delving into lively characters living in a world that is very rich in colorful design and impeccable detail. I saw this movie in 3D, and while that may not be the best way to take in this feature, that doesn’t mean that the 2D option will leave you disappointed. What I love about the color scheme here is that there are very subtle digs of outfit or color used to communicate the very attitudes of each character. For instance, the boss of the storks (Played by Kelsey Grammer) is always seen with squinted eyes and a suit for his character wardrobe. This communicates the kind of brass structure of a man that his character entails with those who respect and even fear him. I also enjoyed the wonderful mix of animals used in the movie, whose movements never feel wooden or out of place with the other animals. There’s flying for the birds, running for the wolves, and even a human character to keep things grounded. All of these offer a different kind of visual tempo and background for the movie, never settling for just one taste in creative direction. It treats kid movies with respect, and that is something I deeply admire.
The characters are enjoyable, albeit but one villanous sidekick who slowed everything down whenever he appeared on-screen. My problems with that particular character will rub off on people possibly in a different way because there’s enough animated chords in his delivery to certainly make him memorable. On the characters I did enjoy though, Andy Samberg’s Junior, who serves as the main character for the film, pulls off a memorable turn in his vocal range that signals why he is one of the best comedy minds working today. A lot of this movie certainly caters to the kind of style of comedy that Samberg is famous for, so you will either find great enjoyment or disappointment within that ideal. What’s great about his turn to me is that Samberg really masters how to bring the most out in each line that might have otherwise fallen short with any other actor at the helm. His exaggerated emotional responses combined with the lively animation make for one of the more enjoyable protagonists that I have seen in animation in 2016. The relatively unknown Katie Crown also dazzles as Tulip, the human orphan who now works alongside the storks. Tulip serves as one of few actual humans in the movie, so it’s in her performance where the movie feels the most familiar to the audience. You really kind of feel great empathy for a woman who was where a lot of these babies are now heading today, and I found myself on more than one occasion consciously rooting for her reunion with her long lost parents. My favorite characters however, were that of Key and Peele playing the two wolf leaders of a never-ending pack. The wolves will probably be the most memorable thing to come out of this movie. The producer’s endless supply of gags within this pack are simply too charming and fun-loving not laugh at least once, and the chemistry of this longtime comedic duo is the smartest move that the casting director made for two imposing, yet ludicrous characters.
Some of the few problems that I had came either in logic for the plot of the movie, as well as the comedy in script which sometimes did miss their designated mark. On the former, I feel like the surprise twist near the end of the movie with who became the antagonist certainly came out of nowhere. There’s very little plotting or structure to the building in this character, which makes the impact for the big discovery a little flat on arrival. This is a movie that quite honestly doesn’t need a villain, but it always feels like movie studios are itching for some kind of unnecessary conflict. My two biggest questions coming out of the movie were this; 1) If said villain is really a villain, why didn’t he just destroy the baby making machine in the first place? 2) If storks are the only way people can get babies, does that mean sex doesn’t exist in this world? The movie mentions there are other ways to get babies, so what’s the point of the storks then? Very little of this is ever really elaborated on, and you soon realize that the true genius of this script is never given the opportunity to capitalize on. As for the comedy failures, the movie’s tempo is very much like a sitcom minus the predictable audience laughter at the end of every line. I did laugh quite a few times in this movie, but more of that was for the brilliant observational humor used for the stereotypical things we think of for respective animals. The movie has a strong emotional centerpiece, built between two families that are equally presented in screen time, fighting for one single baby. What works about this is that the audience knows that eventually one of them will have to say goodbye to that child, crafting a heartbreaking finale that will payoff in tears. The comedy doesn’t quite reach the same level, and therefore a lot of the misses just kind of slow down the pacing of an otherwise entertaining script.
Overall, “Storks” soars high above some of the later miscues in comedic delivery and character development to make for an adventure for every age group. This movie reaches the clouds by offering an original look into family observational humor without settling for the cliches in delivery. Capped by some beautifully structured visuals, as well as some high grade voice acting, and Warner Brothers greatest delivery this year charms with such an absurd ride up in the sky.
7/10