STORKS

US, 2016, 91 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammar, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Anton Starkman, Keegan -Michael Keye, Jordan Peele, Danny Trejo.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller, Doug Sweetland.

After seeing the trailer for this animated film, the question arose as to how prevalent and popular the story about storks bringing babies to eager parents really is. Are there children today who have been told the story and believe it? Or is it one of those transitional stories, like Santa Claus, which children move on from?

Be that as it may, the story capitalises on the story of storks and shows them operating traditionally at the opening of the film. However, it then makes a nod to contemporary commerce and a new role for the storks – being employed by a CEO stork in his warehouse where people can order all kinds of goods and the storks will deliver them, an avian kind of alternate delivery.

The hero of the film is a wisecracking stork, something of a loner amongst his peers, someone to the office of the boss thinking he will be fired but is promised that he will become the new CEO. all well and good except the has the task of firing a young girl, now turning 18, who stork missed out on her address and so she was not delivered but has continued to stay in the warehouse – but is certainly accident-prone.

When Tulip, the young girl, put in charge of the letters room (who would write letters these days when email, texting… Is available?), and the young boy, wanting to have a brother, actually sends a letter and she puts it into process and the baby is produced for delivery – which our hero and Tulip go through all kinds of adventures to deliver.

The children in the audience seemed to be delighted in the action and all the mishaps and pratfalls. The father of the children pulled often enough and some funny situations and humorous dialogue.

The animation is more or less what we have become accustomed to and expect, the voice cast is very good, including Andy Sandberg as the hero.

Entertaining enough while it is there but not so memorable.

1. An entertaining fantasy?

2. The animation style, the, the factory, adventures, flight, the wolves, the boat, the mazes? Individuals, the credits? Birds, due to?

3. The audience and the tradition of the stories about storks and delivering babies? Children today and their knowledge, reactions?

4. The images of old deliveries? The transition to commerce and different deliveries, the factory, the huge space?

5. Change, the Corner store and the work of the storks? Will it work? The boss, the pigeon toady and his depiction as the yes-man?

6. Introduction to Junior, everybody too busy, not going out with him? The boss summoning him? His imagination? Being fired? Going to the boss, the boss being friendly? The potential for taking over? The issue of Tulip, the accidents, the chart with profits going up and

7. Tulip, 18 years old, Jasper and his loss of the address? Her living in the warehouse? The problems? Her ingenuity with flight and the crash?

8. Junior, dealing with Tulip, unable to tell her the truth? Her prospects?

9. His solution in giving her the job in the Letters Office? No letters?

10. The Gardner family, the story, Candidate, his parents, being busy? His interest in Ninjas? Wanting a brother, writing the letter, the visuals of the process of collecting the letter, delivering? Tulip receiving it? Junior’s reaction? Setting the baby manufacture in process?

11. The cute baby, the baby jokes, the delivery flight, Junior?

12. The wolves, appearances, characters, funny, wanting to be parents, the pursuit?

13. Tulip Junior, the hit, the chase, the wharf, being detected, Junior and the hold, being guided by Tulip through the maze, crashing into the glass, the babies?

14. Going to the house, its being closed? Tulip and Jasper, Tulip being delivered, not going in?

15. The boss, the capture?

16. The storks, difficulties in the factory, the toady, getting the help of the penguins, the bells?

17. The confrontation with the boss, the process, more babies being produced, the variety, multiracial?

18. Going to the Gardner family, the delivery of the baby, the reaction of the parents and their preparation for the baby coming, the rooms, the painting the house, the authorities wanting to prevent it? Nate being dismayed that he now had sister, pleased with ninja possibilities?

19. Tulip, discovering her family, everybody gathering round, the extended family and their excitement?

20. The credits, the range of baby pictures?