“Storks” is an animated movie that stars Andy Samberg as the voice of Junior, an ambitious but lonely stork who masterfully delivers packages to humans. We learn right away that storks no longer deliver babies, as they are too much of a hassle. After one stork went rogue and seemingly insane over a baby he was meant to deliver, they decided to end the practice and instead deliver packages.
The main plot follows Junior and Tulip as they deliver an unplanned baby together, while actively working against their boss Hunter, who is adamantly against baby delivery. The subplot consists of the young boy named Nate, who sent in a request for a baby brother, reconnecting with his workaholic parents as they prepare for the delivery of the baby.
While the plot is straightforward and pretty predictable, the characters are what set this film apart. The dynamic of Junior and Tulip is one of fighting and disagreements, but they share a love and sense of responsibility for the baby they’re delivering. Over the course of the film, Junior learns to accept love from those around him while also learning to allow himself to love others. He’s adamant for the first half of the movie that he is simply delivering a package so as to maintain his future position as boss.
This movie covers a lot of ground, most notably family dynamics, which isn’t surprising considering the plot. The young boy Nate, who requests a baby brother from the storks, is feeling lonely as an only child with busy parents. His parents, knowing storks no longer deliver babies, but wanting to reconnect with their son, go along with his plan to prepare for the baby. In this process, they readjust their priorities which were previously their jobs. It’s a very heartwarming subplot and I think they did a great job with it.
The humor designed for kids and adults is balanced perfectly next to the true heart put into this movie. My credibility may be questioned after my article covering “The Cat in the Hat” live action movie, where I praised the adult humor and jokes for kids, but in this case it’s undeniable. Even the jokes for kids were funny as an adult. I will say, there are significantly less jokes that are inappropriate (compared to “The Cat in the Hat”) and more jokes that would go over kids’ heads.
They managed to create an upbeat and positive movie that deals with some more serious subject matter that never weighed it down, making it feel unsuitable for kids. The jokes kept the movie upbeat while still allowing for hardships to be faced and overcome.
The voice acting is amazing by everyone involved. Andy Samberg deserves more praise as a voice actor and did a great job in this. Katie Crown, the voice of Tulip, was amazing and one of my favorites. She did a lot of funny voices that elevated many scenes and brought out the humor in the writing.
The characters all feel very realistic, and all the serious moments that are broken up by humor are done in a realistic manner. When people are overwhelmed by emotion or upset about something, they more often than not respond unseriously or in a manner that is half-funny and half showing how they really feel. We see this with Junior throughout the movie and especially when Tulip discovers she’ll be able to find her “real family.” Junior’s response feels very real in that he doesn’t respond with anger or sadness; he simply immediately pushes her away while trying to keep it light enough to hide his sadness.
This movie is very underappreciated, perhaps due to its timing after “The Lego Movie,” as people went in expecting something similar to that. I personally find it to be funnier than “The Lego Movie,” while also being much more heartwarming. The final scenes in “Storks” are so sweet and make me tear up every time. The storks feel like real people with complex emotions and reactions. I highly recommend giving this movie a watch, whether on your own or with your family.