Storks Movie Review

By: Lynn Barker

In Storks, delivery stork Junior (voice of Andy Samberg) is flying high delivering packages for an Amazon-like internet superstore. He’s never delivered a baby (according to an old legend) in his life. When stork mountain’s long idle baby-making machine pops one out, it’s up to Junior and Tulip, the only human on the mountain, to somehow get the tot to her parents.

Tulip and Junior are sure they can deliver the babyCourtesy of Warner Bros.

The Backstory

Way back when, we see that storks delivered babies from a stronghold on stork mountain where a baby making machine turned them out. Despite being bitten, punched and worse by the tiny tots, this was the job. Flash forward to now. Forget all that baby stuff, eighteen years later, storks are the delivery guys for CornerStore.com, a huge online store and the top delivery “man” is Junior.

Tulip and Junior first see the babyCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Summons to the Boss’s Office

Junior is called in for a chat with Hunter (voice of Kelsey Grammer), the head of the company, who tells him he is about to get promoted. Hunter is going to be kicked upstairs and he wants Junior to take his place but, to prove he is “boss” material, Junior will have to fire Tulip (voice of Katie Crown), a human orphan who was once an undelivered baby. She keeps inventing things that only mess up the delivery operation.

Hunter sends Pigeon Toady after JuniorCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Letter Sorting

Unable to fire the perky and friendly Tulip, Junior sentences her to “Letter Sorting”, a long dead department where would-be parents used to write in requesting babies. Bored to death, Tulip starts talking to herself.

Tulip's first day in letter sortingCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Baby Brother

Meanwhile, little boy Nate (voice of Anton Starkman) is ignored by his loving but way too busy parents. Lonely, he’d love a baby brother with Ninja skills so, finding an old brochure, he writes to stork mountain and Tulip is thrilled to finally get a letter which she takes upstairs and puts into the wrong slot! The old baby-making machine starts up. Junior can’t stop it.

Nate and family wait for the new babyCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Baby Girl

The baby machine pops out a cute baby girl. Junior and Tulip have to deliver her before anyone finds out. Hoping to one day find her own parents, Tulip has built a plane. Old stork Jasper (voice of Danny Trejo) sees them flying away with the baby and will follow. You see, Jasper fell in love with baby Tulip 18 years ago and stole her! She was never delivered.

The baby charms everyoneCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Adventures

While Tulip, Junior and the baby bond and face a wolf pack who want to raise the baby, Nate and his dad also bond and the family starts doing more together. Nate informs his parents that he has “sent off” for a baby brother. They start to warm to the idea. Hunter learns what has happened and wants Junior brought in. He has sent his henchman Pigeon Toady (voice of Stephen Kramer Glickman) to bring Junior back. Will old Jasper find the baby? Will Tulip and Junior deliver her to her parents? Will Tulip ever find her family? Will the storks go back into the baby delivering business?

The wolves are in love with the babyCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Wrapping Up

Storks is also playing with a really cute LEGO film called The Master about a martial arts master whose title keeps being challenged by….a chicken..It’s part of their Ninjago series and it’s adorbs!

Old Jasper explains why he couldn't deliver TulipCourtesy of Warner Bros.

We saw Storks in 3-D and it looks great. The most creative element of the whole film is a wolf pack that can form into just about anything; a motorboat, a submarine, a plane, a mini-van.. you name it. The plot is a little complicated for a family animated film and I’m not sure how the filmmakers mixed up writing letters to Santa with writing Stork Mountain asking for babies but I guess it makes the plot work.

At least most older kids and teens are familiar with the fairy tale that storks deliver babies and can see the film as a celebration of an old story not a confusing tale that goes against what they know about where babies come from.

Noisy baby makes sleep impossibleCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Voice actors Andy Samberg and Katie Crown do a great job with Junior and Tulip and the often used theme that “family” can be either blood or a group of pals still works. A lot of the film’s humor seems more aimed at adults; parents who have gone through the trials and joys of having a baby than at kids and teens who might not really “get” why some of the laughs tickle their parents. We go three stars.

Storks Movie Rating: 

Storks Movie PosterCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Storks is in theaters now!

Have Your Say

Have you wished for a baby brother or sister? Did you ever hear that storks bring babies? Lay down a comment below.