'Migration' animated film promises laughs, wholesome humor without 'lazy' jokes: director
When bringing the new Illumination animated film "Migration" to life, director Benjamin Renner said he made sure to avoid "lazy" jokes so that the viewing experience would be uplifting and enjoyable for the whole family.
"I love family movies," the 40-year-old director and animator told The Christian Post.
"I've been watching them since I was a kid, and I keep loving watching them. We tend to think that with a family movie, you're just going to do gags that are going to be easy for the audience. I always think, 'No, you will have to really put effort into this; you have to be funny and find good gags and good comedy.'"
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Renner told CP he doesn't like "lazy jokes" and wanted to make sure the film's creators came up with "new ideas."
"Kids often laugh at slapstick humor, and even though we had some of it, we really wanted to make sure that it was thought through and there was a surprise to it," he said. "It was a tricky challenge to find the balance throughout the movie, but it's also what's making it as exciting as a director, trying to come up with comedy that's going to be fun and thoughtful."
Releasing Dec. 22, "Migration" follows a family of mallards who try to convince their overprotective father to go on a vacation of a lifetime. They attempt to migrate from New England through New York City to Jamaica. As the narrative unfolds, the family embarks on a remarkable journey, offering viewers a bird's-eye view of the world.
Along the way, the ducks must overcome numerous obstacles, including unfriendly birds, thunderstorms and other unexpected hazards that threaten their existence. Throughout the journey, the ducks accomplish more than they ever thought possible, overcome their fears and learn the importance of family.
The film features the vocal talents of Danny DeVito, Kumail Nanjiani, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, Elizabeth Banks and more.
Rated PG, the film is from Illumination, the studio behind "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," "Minions," "Despicable Me," "Sing" and "The Secret Life of Pets" comedies.
Renner, the youngest child in his family, said his personal experiences heavily influence his storytelling. He infused his childhood dynamics into the film to create relatable and humorous family interactions.
"My instinct is connecting with other people, and when I work on a movie, I always think of people that are close to me, friends and family, and make sure they are going to laugh at or connect with this character. I put a lot of ideas or relationships that I have, things that made me laugh from the life that I have with my brothers and sisters, into my movies," he said.
"There's a little sister in the movie that's very annoying. And it's really based on my relationship with my brothers and sister because I'm the youngest of the siblings, and I was this little annoying little kid that was always following them everywhere," he said with a chuckle.
Though geared towards children, Renner — whose background is in hand-drawn animation — said the film delves into deeper themes related to overcoming fear and embracing life's challenges.
The film portrays the complexities of family dynamics, avoiding simplistic right-or-wrong judgments, and encourages viewers to accept fear as a part of life and learn from experiences rather than shying away from them.
"The theme of the movie is really getting out of your comfort zone, facing life and accepting that fear is part of life," Renner said. "You should accept that you will be scared in life, but it shouldn't make you feel that you should stay home in a routine. That's what I loved about this movie; we're talking about parents who are going to have to teach their kids to face the obstacles that life is going to give them. Our kids might fall, and our role will not be to prevent them from falling, but to get back up, as well."
"You have to find the balance because there's no black and white; it's not like the father or mother is right or wrong. They both have a philosophy of life, and they're trying to find the balance. That's also something that I really loved — talking about the relationship you can have within a family, between a couple, with your kids. There are a lot of things that might feel very serious when I talk about it, but we wanted to treat it in a very comedic and lighthearted way."
Ultimately, "Migration" is a film about a journey through life's challenges and joys, seen through a unique and heartwarming lens meant to resonate with audiences of all ages during the Christmas season, Renner said.
"It's very human-related with family dynamic and everything, but treated with a point of view of ducks, which makes it cute and an exciting setting," he said. "I tried to bring my best to this film."
"Migration" hits theaters Dec. 22.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
