Film Review: Funny, Spontaneous ‘Storks’ Really Delivers

CHICAGO – I’ve waited all week to write that headline, and I will be joining the 100,000 other similar headlines out there. Hey-ooh! “Storks” is a lot of fun, without the dire need for any “message” or heavy handedness that is too familiar in the current animation environment. It’s just funny.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Much of the credit has to go to writer/co-director Nicholas Stoller (“Get Him to the Greek”), doing his first animated film. He has a light touch with comedy, pressing the accelerator when he needs to, but also getting laughs from wacky dialogue and strange asides. Staying close to the roots of the story (storks no longer deliver babies, but packages), and employing a great voice cast, combined for “Storks” to join “Sausage Factory” as the funniest full-length cartoon of the year.

The old days of storks delivering babies has gone the way of the rotary phone. The new delivery model is packages, ala Amazon. Junior (voice of Andy Samberg) is a associate executive about to be promoted to manager, if he can keep impressing the big boss man Hunter (Kelsey Grammer). There is one problem – an orphan girl named Tulip (Katie Crown), who was adopted by the storks when a rogue bird (Danny Trejo) refused to deliver her as a baby.

Because Tulip wreaks havoc at the company, she is exiled to the mail room, where she receives a plea by letter from a young boy (Anton Starkman), who wishes for a baby brother. His parents (Ty Burrell and Jennifer Aniston) go along with the ruse, thinking it won’t happen. But Tulip makes it work, and she – with Junior, who was assigned to watch out for her – must make the delivery. The premise of the delivery company then shifts to a buddy comedy.  

”Storks” opens everywhere on September 23rd in 3D and regular screenings. See local listings for 3D theaters and show times. Featuring the voices of Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Anton Starkman, Kelsey Grammar, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele and Danny Trejo. Written by Mark Monroe. Directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland. Rated “PG”