Duck Duck Goose (PG)

“Duck Duck Goose” was made by a Chinese animation studio called Original Force Animation and was distributed by American distributor Open Road Films (“The Nut Job” movies). It was set to be released in American theaters on April 20th of this year. The movie was never released in North America until Netflix came to the rescue and picked it up to be released on July 20th and had a trailer for it. The director of the movie, Chris Jenkins, produced other animated movies such as “Surfs Up” and “Home.” He also is writing for an upcoming animated feature called “The Ark and the Aardvark,” starring Miles Teller. So let’s get into the review

This movie takes place in China and it’s about a goose named Peng who doesn’t take anything seriously, and doesn’t like to follow directions from his flock leader, Bing. While this happens, two ducks named Chi and Chao get lost from its flock they try to find a way home. When Peng breaks his wing he needs to help Chi and Chao to get back home and also find the Haven. A cat named Banzaou – who is like Gollum from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy – wants to eat these guys but first needs to find them and follow their paths. Peng, Chi, and Chao need to walk before winter comes and Banzaou kills them. Peng learns about teamwork and family in this film. Could this movie get any more bland?

“Duck Duck Goose”  is one of the most uninteresting animated movies I’ve ever seen. The movie’s plot is as predictable as it gets for an animated movie. It also has bland plots like the love interest, the father who doesn’t approve of the boyfriend, the adult who needs to have to have fun with kids, and teamwork. The film also has some out of place scenes that have no point to progress the plot and it should’ve been edited out of the film. 

The editing is also fairly weird in how some scenes transition and progress. The jokes are so terrible; they use fart jokes and other types of unfunny humor, and I only chuckled two times. All of the characters are either bland, pointless, or weak. Peng is not a good main protagonist; he could be annoying and careless to people and the film just made him change that because it’s a movie just roll with it. Chi and Chao the two baby ducks are not interesting – they are just the kid characters that make Peng change his ways and have a heart. 

Banzaou, the main antagonist, is basically Gollum if he was a cat he – is also a generic villain who’s goal is to kill and eat animals. His motivations make no sense. Why would he try to walk and chase after a goose and two ducks and could freeze to death he could’ve ate the other animals that don’t fly or can’t go anywhere? “Duck Duck Goose” has a host of other characters, such as Jingjing, who is the love interest, Bing, the dad who doesn’t approve of the boyfriend, two other birds named Frazier and Giles who make fun of geese, Carl, the hippy squirrel that tries to help Peng, Larry the turtle who is old and slow, and the chickens who bring in Peng, Chi, and Chao in for the night. 

The animation is actually not bad. Some of it is pretty okay, and the backgrounds look nice. The character animation is also well done, and most designs of the animals look fine (the beaks of the geese look too big and it’s kind of distracting. But while this isn’t the most impressive film visually, it still looks nice). The voice acting is a mix for me. Jim Gaffigan does an adequate job as Peng, but he has little to no funny lines to make you like his performance that much. Zendaya and Lance Lim don’t sound like kids and it’s out of place for them to voice Chi and Chao. The others do a fine job with their characters, though. 

“Duck Duck Goose” is just a blander version of other animated movies and doesn’t do anything unique. Even with passable animation and voice acting, it still is a bad movie.

– by Diego Filmman