Storks used to deliver human babies. What a pain. Good thing an enterprising stork (Kelsey Grammer) revamped the company to deliver packages for Amazon CornerStore.com. Things are going great until up-and-coming Junior (Andy Samberg) makes a mistake that results in the baby making machine being activated. Now he and the human Orphan Tulip (Katie Crown) have to deliver this problem before it creates more trouble for both of them.
Storks takes a wild premise and flies with it. What could have been absurd or cliche ends up being original and sweet. Self aware enough to point out the moments that don’t make any sense (a wolf pack really shouldn’t be able to turn into a submarine) and plot devices that only work in cartoons, it doesn’t quite break the fourth wall or descend into parody but rather comes off as clever. More clever than you probably expect, but it’s certainly no Zootopia.
While kids will enjoy the animated antics, it’s the parents who will come away with a tear in their eyes and a grin on their faces. In fact, at times it almost feels more tailored to those with kids than the kids themselves. Not to say it’s not kid friendly, funny, and engaging; or that it relies on over-headed humor – it’s just that if you do have children, the impact of this film will magnify significantly. Cute, meaningful, and clearly made by people who have been through it too, the whole thing is a pretty transparent allegory for parenthood.
I can say without a doubt that I would not have enjoyed the movie to the same degree a few years ago before Little Hamster was on the scene. Lucky for you, if you’re an adult seeing this in theaters, chances are you’re a parent too, so it’s all good.
While Storks hits a number of predictable beats and ends up certainly in the neighborhood of where you would expect it to, it avoids filling in all the formula blanks you expect it to. It clears its own path to tell its own story with a cast of characters both memorable and entertaining. I do have to ask though – does Ty Burrell have some fascination with real estate?
A strong entry in a year of strong animation, Storks isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s no knock-off cheap kiddie flick either. With a top notch cast, an innovative premise, and a plot that doesn’t feel like a corporate Mad Lib, you can’t go wrong. There’s plenty of clever bird humor, baby jokes, and wolf antics to keep all entertained. You can skip the 3D though, it doesn’t add much here.
Brother Hamster did not screen this film
Mrs. Hamster says:
“Super cute, I loved it, but I didn’t hear any kids laughing so I wonder who this movie is really for.”
My rating: Three out of five hats
Trailer:
Storks delivers to 3,922 theaters September 23, in 2D and 3D
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