What age is Migration appropriate for?

Migration is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 5+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The chef actively chasing the duck family through a restaurant kitchen with a knife, capturing Mack and Pam while the children hide, and the disturbing revelation that duck leaders Earl and Mae were handing ducks over to the chef to be cooked may genuinely frighten children under 5.

Does Migration have swearing or bad language?

Migration has Very Mild language. Characters say 'crazy' three times, 'stupid' once, 'wart' four times, 'vermin' twice, and 'bumpkin' or 'bumpkins' twice.

Is Migration violent?

Migration has Mild violence. In a bedtime story, Mack describes ducklings being cut in half by a heron — the event is not shown but described verbally, which may be more unsettling than a visual for imaginative children.

Is Migration scary for children?

Migration has Mild scary scenes. A thunderstorm during the family's first flight attempt is startling — the children are visibly frightened and it sets an anxious tone early in the film.

Is Migration OK for Kids?

Name: Migration
Director: Benjamin Renner
Genre: Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Released: 2023
Duration: 83 min
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Awkwafina

FamilyComedyAdventureAnimation

PG⭐ 6.6 / 102023 · 1h 23m

Benjamin Renner

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

In a bedtime story, Mack describes ducklings being cut in half by a heron — the event is not shown but described verbally, which may be more unsettling than a visual for imaginative children.
Heron characters Erin and Harry pursue the duck family as predators; Harry ends up catching a fish instead of the ducks — played for comedic relief.
A chef pursues Mack, Pam, and the children through his restaurant kitchen wielding a knife and cooking implements in a prolonged action chase sequence.
The chef captures Mack and Pam in the kitchen; there are struggle sequences involving grunting and screaming while the children remain in hiding.
Delroy the parrot retaliates against the chef using kitchen utensils — framed as comedic justice for years of captivity.
The chef is hit with cooking implements and comically inflates like a balloon and floats away — entirely cartoonish with no lasting harm shown.
The family escapes from a moving truck bound for the chef's kitchen — action peril with no injuries shown. Violence overall is cartoon or action-adventure in tone with no blood, death on screen, or graphic content.

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Characters say 'crazy' three times, 'stupid' once, 'wart' four times, 'vermin' twice, and 'bumpkin' or 'bumpkins' twice.
'Wart' and 'vermin' are used as insults directed at the duck family, functioning as mild name-calling.
No profanity of any kind — no da**, hell, a**, or stronger words detected. Language is firmly in children's-film territory.

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

A thunderstorm during the family's first flight attempt is startling — the children are visibly frightened and it sets an anxious tone early in the film.
Herons Erin and Harry are introduced as genuine predators who intend to eat the duck family — the threat of being consumed is real and may frighten younger viewers.
The chaotic city traffic sequence features honking horns and near-collisions as the family flies through moving buses and cars — loud and visually hectic.
A gang of pigeons corners and aggressively confronts the duck family in a tunnel — posturing and intimidation without physical harm.
The chef chasing the ducks through the restaurant kitchen is the film's most sustained scary sequence — it involves pursuit, capture of the parents, and children hiding alone.
The discovery that duck leaders Earl and Mae were secretly handing fellow ducks over to the chef to be cooked is the film's most disturbing moment — a betrayal-of-trust reveal that carries darker implications than the rest of the film.
The dead fish discovered in the heron's nest is a startling visual moment. Most scary sequences are resolved through the family working together and comedic outcomes for the villains.

💕Romance

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Young duckling Dax develops a crush on Kim, a female duck — his sister Gwen teases him about it, including revealing he says Kim's name in his sleep.
At the end of the film Dax reunites with Kim in Jamaica and she compliments his wings — sweet and entirely age-appropriate.
No kissing, dating, sexual references, or physical intimacy of any kind. Romance is limited to innocent childhood crush behaviour.

🍺Substances

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

'Poisonous mushrooms' are briefly mentioned in dialogue as one item on Mack's list of fears — a passing reference with no visual depiction.
No alcohol, drugs, or smoking are shown or featured in the film.
Substances play no role in the story and the mention carries no glorification or negative modelling.

⚡Stimulation

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

The film contains multiple high-energy sequences including city traffic navigation, kitchen chases, and aerial flight formations — pacing is fast throughout the second and third acts.
The kitchen escape and restaurant chase is a multi-layered, back-to-back action sequence with rapid editing and loud sound design — the most intense sustained sequence in the film.
Water slide sequences at the Garden of Harmony and glowing water discovery in Jamaica are exciting and visually stimulating but not overwhelming.
Sensory-sensitive children may find the combination of honking traffic, chase sequences, and kitchen chaos across the mid-to-late film tiring or overstimulating. Younger or highly sensitive children may benefit from viewing in a calm home environment rather than a cinema.

Migration — Heads Up for Parents

The reveal that Earl and Mae — duck characters presented as community leaders and potential helpers — have been secretly handing fellow ducks over to the chef to be cooked is tonally darker than anything else in the film; it is a betrayal-of-trust moment with real predatory implications that may land unexpectedly hard on younger children who trusted those characters.

About Migration

Migration (2023) is an animated family adventure following the Mallard duck family — cautious dad Mack, adventurous mum Pam, and their kids Dax and Gwen — as they embark on their first migration from New England to Jamaica. Along the way they navigate city traffic, scheming pigeons, predatory herons, and a dangerous restaurant chef who wants to cook them. The film is warm and comedic in tone, with heart centred on family bonding and Mack learning to overcome his fear-driven overprotectiveness.

👨‍👧

Best watched together

Children aged 5 to 7 will benefit from a parent present during the kitchen capture sequence where Mack and Pam are caught and the children are left hiding alone, and during the Earl and Mae betrayal reveal — both moments are emotionally loaded and the film's comedic tone does not fully defuse them for the youngest viewers.

Family Takeaways from Migration

What it gets right

✓The film honestly portrays parental overprotection as coming from love but still being limiting — Mack's fear-driven bedtime story and refusal to migrate is not framed as villainy but as something to compassionately work through together as a family.
✓Delroy's storyline gives the film unexpected emotional depth: a bird freed from years of captivity finally reaching home resonates as a genuine story of hope and the importance of fighting for others' freedom even when you are also in danger.

Migration Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The entire narrative is driven by Mac's commitment to protecting his family and Pam's determination to give their children a better future. Family unity, parental sacrifice, and staying together through adversity are the central emotional themes throughout the migration journey.

Community Notes

Some critics noted that Jamaican culture is used primarily as a warm visual backdrop and destination reward rather than being explored with depth — Jamaican characters and setting serve the duck family's arc more than representing the culture authentically.

Cast:Kumail NanjianiElizabeth BanksCaspar JenningsTresi GazalAwkwafina