Check Kidzworld’s Blu-ray review of Storks, the animated comedy out on home video for the holidays. Would it be a funny gift for everyone on your list or a dud in a baby blanket?
By: Lynn Barker
In Storks, delivery stork Junior (voice of Andy Samberg) flies to deliver packages for an Amazon-like internet superstore. He’s never delivered a baby (according to an old legend) in his life. That “service” is over on Stork Mountain until the long idle baby-making machine pops a baby out!
Junior is on duty when the baby machine starts workingCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
In the Olden Days
For ages storks delivered babies from Stork Mountain where a baby making machine turned them out. Despite being physically abused by tiny tots, this was the storks’ job. Eighteen years later, storks are the delivery guys for CornerStore.com, a huge online store and the top delivery “man” is Junior.
In the old days, storks put up with a lotCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Called in by the Boss
Junior is called in for a chat with company CEO Hunter (voice of Kelsey Grammer) who tells him he going to be promoted 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.
Junior is called in front of the bossCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The Dead Department
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 and Junior on their quest to find the baby's familyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
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 Gardner's parents are too busy for himCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
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. Through many adventures, will the baby get delivered? Will Tulip find her family?
Whoops! The machine made a babyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Special Extra Features
- Storks: Guide to Your New Baby- is a silly primer hosted by Pigeon Toady on how to change, feed, burp your baby and get him/her to sleep. Silly but kind of funny too.
- The Master: A LEGO Ninjago Short – This short appeared in theaters with Storks. It’s entertaining and nice to have to take home.
- Storks: “Kiss the Sky” Music Video is the hip hoppy, danceable song over scenes from the movie. Very upbeat.
- Deleted Scenes – There are a lot, most of them presented in black and white storyboard form. As usual, interesting and some funny to watch but most were cut for time or being too “wordy”. You can watch with or without the directors’ commenting on why they cut them.
Tulip and Junior are charmed by the babyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
- Outtakes (The Bloopers) – This feature is unusual in an animated film because, duh, live action actors aren’t there to screw up but a lot of time and talent went into these funny, fully-animated scenes in which the characters goof up their lines, things fall down etc. Well worth a watch and my fave extra.
- Audio Commentary by the directors and producer – It’s lively and watchable (listenable).
Pigeon Toady is freaked on changing a diaperCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Wrapping Up
Storks is certainly watchable for everyone but some of the baby jokes are probably funnier for parents who’ve experienced the whole baby “thing” than tweens and teens. Well, maybe if you have cared for a baby bro or sis you can relate. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great. To please the family, especially parents, this might be a giver for the holidays. Extras are cute and we especially like the “fake” Outtakes. Going three stars on this one.
Storks Blu-ray Rating:
Storks Blu-ray cover artCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Storks is available on Blu-ray & DVD December 20th!
Have Your Say
Have you ever heard the legend that storks deliver babies? Are you just an animated movie fan? Comment below.
