DannyDeVito – Credits Rolling

Migration is the newest of Illumination’s offerings. The Mallard family have a pretty great set up in their New England pond. Mack (Kumail Nanjiani), the father in particular, isn’t bothered when everyone else flies south for the winter. This year is different when his wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks) convinces him otherwise. Together they set out with their two children Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal) as well as Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) on the adventure of a lifetime.

Though the plot may be simple and straightforward, there’s plenty to enjoy. At the heart of the film the theme of family and this was depicted prominently throughout. The ways in which they worked together was heartwarming to see. You could tell they were close and would do anything for each other, no matter the trials and tribulations they faced.

At times it felt like the events unfolding were predictable. Sometimes this can be comforting because we know that everything will turn out okay. That was the case here. It was the journey leading up to the final destination that kept me invested with the scenes in New York City being my favorite. Chump (Awkwafina), a tough on the outside yet warm on the inside pigeon, and Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key), a down on his luck macaw, were introduced here and elevated the story.

From the tranquil pond where the Mallards live, to the skies up above and the bustling city down below, ending in the exotic beaches and waters of Jamaica, the audience is transported to many places over the course of the film. The animation was pretty to look at and really made me feel like I was along for the ride.

Overall Migration is the perfect film for all the family. Not only is there adventure, there are many laughs and a lot of heart thrown in that make for a perfect combination.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

I went to Disneyland Paris last year for Halloween and refused to go on the Haunted Mansion ride. The whole thing just gave me the creeps. When I heard that the 2003 film was getting a reboot, I felt like I’d be able to qualm my fears and, of course, to see what all the fuss was about.

Single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) moves into a house that she’s pretty sure is haunted with her son Travis (Chase Dillon). She decides to hire a tour guide (LaKeith Stanfield), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish), a priest (Owen Wilson) and a historian (Danny DeVito), in hopes of exorcising the house before its too late.

While the film may feel a bit all over the place and is on the longer side, it did what it set out to do. The atmosphere of the house and the many ghosts that inhabit it had me jumping left, right and centre. The mystery was also interesting enough to keep me engaged more or less the whole way through even if it took awhile to get there.

With an ensemble cast as big as it was, some characters didn’t get as much focus as they should have. As brilliant as Stanfield was brilliant as our protagonist Ben and how outlandish and hilarious Haddish as Harriet, I wanted to learn more about the others too. We may have touched on Kent, Bruce and Gabbie, but not as much as they should have been. I also would have liked for Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) to have more screen time. At least we know we can always count on an unrecognizable Jared Leto to ham up a performance.

This updated version of Haunted Mansion has been getting a lot of flack and I don’t really understand why. It’s the perfect adventure flick the whole family can enjoy with some small jump scares and a lot of heartfelt moments. Has it convinced me to finally check out the ride? Yes, I think it may have…

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️