Unpacking the animated, all-ages-oriented Storks takes some time. Written and directed by Bad Neighbours 2’s Nicholas Stoller, and co-helmed by experienced animator and Pixar veteran Doug Sweetland (short Presto), the film plunges audiences into a world in which bouncing bundles of joy were once ushered into existence by the titular creatures. That was 18 years ago; now, they fly packages from their sky-high headquarters above the clouds down to eager online shoppers below. Their switch in focus was sparked by an incident involving an over-enthusiastic bird and a child he couldn’t part with, with the girl, Tulip (Katie Crown, TV’s Clarence), now a janitor in their warehouse.
Tulip yearns to meet the family that she was kept from — and, in pursuit of a promotion that will see him become the site’s boss, eager stork Junior (Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) yearns to be rid of her company. Firing Tulip is his final test; however his task turns complicated when lonely human boy Nate Gardner (Anton Starkman, American Horror Story) sends a request for a new sibling. Nate’s pleas may have fallen on the deaf ears of his overworked realtor parents (Mother’s Day’s Jennifer Aniston and Modern Family’s Ty Burrell), but Tulip is more than eager to help. When she accidentally sets his order in motion, Junior is forced to assist with the delivery.
What springs from Stoller’s convoluted narrative is a desire to reconcile the conflicting needs of the two audience groups that flock to such efforts: kids likely to be wowed by a frenzy of colour and movement, and parents seeking more than a simple storyline to keep themselves engaged at the same time. Populating the movie with talking animals takes care of the former, while messages about the importance of family, and of taking time out from busy lives to savour the formative years in a child’s life, are tailored to the latter — but they make for a clumsy, unconvincing fit.
In the bright, bustling entertainment stakes, Storks becomes a three-way battle between its vivid images, frenetic pace and Samberg’s energetic vocal stylings. Indeed, so enthusiastic is the star’s voice work that the rest of the film seems to be striving to keep up, but without the wit or originality to match its liveliness. Some sequences stand out, such as a silent fight staged by combatants desperately trying not to wake the baby. Some sight gags, including those manufactured by a pack of wolves that can fashion themselves into various forms of transport, also inspire the requisite giggles. Beyond that, most of the array of odd-couple road-trip antics falls into the realm of playful and spirited but clichéd.
That’s where the feature’s overtly stressed fondness for procreation and togetherness comes in — or should. Alas, more than the weighty considerations popping up in other broad-ranging animated fare, it’s a theme unlikely to cause much of an impact with younger viewers. In a film where more appears to equal more, that extends to the statement-heavy sentimentality unsubtly inserted into as many of the movie’s scenes as possible. Accordingly, a combination of cuteness, chaos and cloying content results, and one that’s awkward more than endearing.
Rating: 2 ½ stars out of 5
Storks
Directors: Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland
USA, 2016, 89 mins
Release date: September 22
Distributor: Roadshow
Rated: G
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