Many parents dread getting dragged to see another happy, sing-song movie that Hollywood releases just to spite parents of young children. Parents going to see this movie still might feel that inevitable apprehension towards another animated film before actually knowing what Storks is even about. But Storks, written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, is a children’s movie that any parent will thoroughly enjoy because it is a movie about parenting.

Children’s movies always have bright characters, silly humor, an easy to follow storyline, and, of course, a villain. Storks has all of this and more. The characters create relatable moments for any age.  The humor is layered so that both kids and adults can have a good laugh. The storyline is complex enough to keep children entertained and parents engaged, and the villain(s) are what give the story depth.

Storks begins on that factory floor with top stork, Junior, voiced by Andy Samberg, about to receive a big promotion to become boss of the company Cornerstore.com, an online shopping emporium. The online shop used to be a baby delivery service (all puns intended), and storks would endure the dangerous job of delivering a baby to their parents. Before Junior can become boss, he must fire “Orphan” Tulip (Katie Crown), on her birthday. Instead, he redirects her to the abandoned baby delivery factory and lies to the CEO, Hunter (Kelsey Grammer). Soon after, the quirky duo finds they have accidentally turned on the Baby Making Machine that produces a tiny bundle of joy that Junior now has to deliver.

Meanwhile, Nate Gardner, a young boy voiced by Anton Starkman, whose parents work vigorously, wants more than anything to have a new baby brother. Being an only child with two hardworking parents can get pretty lonely so he writes a letter to the old Stork Baby Delivery service.

Junior and Tulip go one an epic adventure including dangerous wolves, plane turbulence, and even a few crazy birds to deliver the new baby to her family.

The characters that Stoller created are relatable, fun, and dynamic. The animated characters were able to show great emotions. Although they were overdone in some places for comical effect, the characters were still amusing. Towards the beginning of the film, Tulip’s and Junior’s relationship felt very awkward, but as the movie developed more, so did the characters’ relationships. Also, the storyline is very engaging, though it seemed to drag at times. While some jokes could squeeze a chuckle out of the audience, some seemed to fall flat and really reminded the audience that this is a children’s movie. But, the animators did well in creating a colorful and bright movie that will make any child smile as they watch this fun and imaginative movie.

Storks addresses real life parenting issues in fun and comical ways. The most awkward and anticipated questions that anybody taking care of children fear: “Where do babies come from?” and “How are babies made?” This is frankly addressed in the movie. The film satirizes growing up with busy parents with snarky comments about being a teenager who will soon hate their parents for missing a majority of their childhood. Also, the directors play with the golden rule: don’t wake the baby!

The movie also pokes fun at more adult humor by alluding to the musical Avenue Q in an indistinct way that will have both children and adults giggling. This type of humor happened quite often. No surprise as the director is Nicholas Stoller, a well-seasoned comedic writer. He is mainly known for his debut movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Andy Samberg is also known for his comedic talent. This movie includes an all-star comedic cast.

Overall, Storks is a cute movie and full of humor that the whole family will enjoy. It shows a sweet, feel-good message about parenting and will have all the adults in the theatre reminiscing about their own childhood and reflecting on when their children were younger. I would recommend this movie to any family because teenagers and children alike would appreciate this film.