Duck Review: Migration
The film from Illumination showcases a number of duck species. How accurate were they in the representation of these waterfowl?
Migration is a recently released film from the animation studio, Illumination. I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on Christmas Day and came away having very much enjoyed it.
This tale of a family of mallards attempting to migrate south to Jamaica for the winter was fun and does a lot for the presence of ducks as relevant characters in stories. (Perhaps someday we will see ducks take over the fantasy genre.) I thought the movie was very enjoyable for what it was and it’s currently hovering around a 7/10 rating from critics and fans.
But I’m not here to provide a review of the film itself. Instead, I want to look at the duck species that were represented in Migration and how closely they match the look of these ducks in real life. By my count, four duck species were shown in the movie: mallard, wood, crested, and pekin.
Mallard
The story’s main characters are a family of mallards. Their design is cartoonish, but these birds are easily identifiable as mallards. The green head on the males and the brown speckled feathers of the female are nearly perfect. These ducks look like mallards.
Wood
Early in the film our family of mallards meets a group of wood ducks who visit their pond on their way south to Jamaica, which motivates our group to do the same.
The only trouble is that these wood ducks barely look like their namesake. While wood ducks are known to have royal blue feathers on their backs, the stark blue and white design in the movie isn’t something I’ve seen before from their real-life counterparts. Had I not been told that these were wood ducks, I may not have guessed it.
Nonetheless, I understand the decision of the animators to make sure they were visually distinct from the mallards while also avoiding these cute ducks having the intense red eyes that wood ducks are known for.
Crested & Pekin
**Warning: minor spoilers in this section**
Midway through the film, our traveling family stumbles upon a duck farm. They are greeted by a friendly crested duck named Googoo and his following of what I assume are American Pekins.
I don’t believe either species is mentioned by name during these scenes, but the crested duck is clearly identifiable by the large puff on top of his head. Crested ducks are a common species on many farms. Kudos to the animators for choosing it to give the main duck of this bunch an appearance that stands out visually while also having a very accurate design.
The pekins are less obviously identifiable because many are extremely fattened and have other features that almost make them look like a different type of bird altogether, e.g. penguins or other sea birds. It makes it hard to be certain which species of duck they are, but it’s understandable given the story information that is conveyed through their design. In the end, the way they are animated makes sense for the movie.
**End minor spoilers**
Overall Duck Score
I give Migration a 7/10 for accuracy in the design of the ducks represented in the film. Overall, the movie is beautifully animated and I’m thrilled that a variety of species were able to take center stage in this wonderful film.
I recommend checking it out for a fun, family-friendly good time! (And to see a movie about ducks, if you’re into that kind of thing.)
I love you rated it on how accurate of a duck movie it was hahaha. This was a refreshing take.
I love you