Storks is an animated comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group and released in 2016. It features the voices of Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer, and Keegan-Michael Key. The film garnered positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing over $183 million worldwide against a $70 million budget. But what makes Storks such a quality movie that audiences and critics alike enjoyed? Let’s explore some of the key reasons.
The Story and Premise
Storks presents an original and clever story premise focused on the mythical birds that supposedly deliver human babies. In the world of the film, storks once did deliver babies but eventually transitioned to package delivery for an e-commerce giant instead. Top stork delivery bird Junior gets promoted right before the old baby factory accidentally produces an orphaned human baby girl. This forces Junior to make an unauthorized baby delivery with the help of Tulip, the human who wants to become the first female stork delivery agent. This unique story presents a thoughtful commentary on gender roles and corporate culture while also delivering plenty of humor as Tulip and Junior journey to deliver the baby to her family.
Subverting Expectations
The film’s premise also allows it to subvert expectations in fun and surprising ways. We expect storks to deliver babies, but they no longer do that in the movie’s fictional reality. Yet the main plot centers on a stork trying to deliver a baby once again. The filmmakers got to have their cake and eat it too by establishing an inventive backstory that lets storks exist in a modern corporate setting while still letting them deliver a baby for a classic stork-focused story. Overall, the movie’s central conceit provides a smart narrative that supports humor and touching emotional moments.
Clever Commentary
As mentioned earlier, Storks incorporates thoughtful commentary by using the stork premise to explore modern gender roles and corporate culture. Tulip’s trying to break into a male-dominated field offers a girl power message that advocates for equality and progress. The stork organization’s hyper-focused business ambitions also satirize the potential detriments of profit-above-all-else corporations. So the movie has appealing depth beyond just silly stork hijinks.
Characters
Storks also shines thanks to the appeal and development of its main characters, especially Junior and Tulip.
Junior’s Growth
Junior starts off as overly ambitious and kind of callous, caring more about his promotion than the orphaned baby. But as he spends more time with Tulip and the baby, he becomes more empathetic and mature. Junior’s growth gives the film heart and acts as a positive lesson for viewers about becoming a better person by opening yourself up to others.
Tulip’s Endearing Quirkiness
Tulip is lovably odd and excitable as a character. Her hyperactive enthusiasm acts as an endearing counterpoint to Junior’s initial cold corporate drive. Tulip’s desire to find a family also gives the story emotional weight. Additionally, her unconventional ingenuity helps her and Junior throughout their journey. So Tulip emerges as both a likable heart for the movie and a motivating force for the core narrative.
Animation
Storks delivers visually stunning computer animation from Sony Pictures Imageworks. The storks and Tulip exhibit feathered realism while still acting in cartoonishly expressive ways true to animated form. The varied settings showcase immense detail as well, from the dizzying interior of Stork Mountain to the sprawling metropolis the storks deliver to.
Character Expressions
The characters’ faces also display hilarious expressiveness. Their wildly diverse emotive reactions enrich comedic moments and make scenes more visually dynamic and fun to watch.
Color and Lighting
The animators utilize color, shadows, and lighting to full effect as well. The contrast between gloomy or ominous settings and bright happy scenes helps underscore narrative and emotional tones. Overall, the top-notch animation provides continuous delight and gives life to the movie’s world and characters.
Humor
Hilarity stands as one of Storks’ greatest strengths. The film provides a constant stream of clever banter, sight gags, and physical comedy.
Comedic Performances
Much of the humor comes from the comedic voice performances. Andy Samberg lends Junior goofy awkward charm while Katie Crown’s Tulip radiates endearing hyperactivity. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele of acclaimed comedy duo Key & Peele fame also provide lots of laughs as alpha wolf storks. The whole voice cast have solid grip on their characters’ funny sensibilities.
Slapstick
Storks also delivers more overtly cartoonish humor through exaggerated slapstick moments. The physical comedy scenes with the storks getting pummeled in comedically extreme ways certainly milk laughs from viewers. By blending witty verbal humor with zany physical antics, the movie provides varied comedy for all tastes.
Baby Humor
The film also gets lots of mileage out of baby humor. Scenes of the adorably naive orphan baby girl acting in silly ways lead to hilarious outcomes. Moments like the baby ingesting a dangerous wolf serum exemplify how the film uses baby humor for maximum comedic effect.
Emotional Impact
For all its animated antics and hilarity, Storks also connects with viewers emotionally.
Junior’s Redemption
As covered earlier, Junior’s journey from self-centered to caring packs personal resonance. His eventual dedication to the baby’s well-being demonstrates endearing growth. Junior’s sacrifice of his promotion to save the baby shows he learned what really matters, providing a touching pivot for the cocky stork.
Tulip’s Struggles
Tulip also faces hardship with her feeling of isolation and need for a family. Her steadfast desire to find belonging allows us to root for and connect with her. When Tulip finally gets what she always wanted from the stork family at movie’s end, it acts as an earned emotional payoff.
Nurturing Themes
The focus on taking care of the baby and importance of family gives the story heartwarming poignancy. Those nurturing themes are universally appealing, giving the movie broad emotional appeal.
Worldbuilding
Storks constructs a fictional universe with depth that gives it the feel of an immersive animated epic.
Stork Culture and History
The stork civilization and history established, like storks originally delivering babies and the eventual Cornerstone company, create an intricate backdrop. Those details make the stork universe seem real and lived-in. They provide a stronger foundation for the movie’s plot and themes.
Locations
The different settings also add unique flavor to the world. Stork Mountain acts as an imposing centralized hub for the storks. Meanwhile, the unnamed city provides a sprawling metropolitan area for Tulip and Junior’s road trip adventure. The icy Panda Village also makes for an appealingly quirky stop on their travels.
World’s Appeal
Overall, the level of thought put into the worldbuilding gives the setting texture. It feels like a fully realized place with lore and history that make it echo in viewers’ minds even after the credits roll.
Conclusion
Storks delivers a winning animated package with broad appeal. The clever concept provides unique opportunities for comedy and heartwarming emotion. Junior and Tulip emerge as appealing characters who grow in engaging ways. Top-notch animation and hilarious humor keep viewers hooked. The movie touches the heart too with endearing character development and themes of nurturing and family. Finally, the detailed fictional universe gives the setting memorability. For all those reasons and more, Storks soars as quality family entertainment that stands among the best recent computer animated films.
