Post by StevePulaski on Aug 1, 2018 22:32:46 GMT -5
Duck Duck Goose (2018)
Directed by: Chris Jenkins
Directed by: Chris Jenkins
Rating: ★★
With animation dominated by three major players and many, many optimistic small-timers and start-ups thinking they can hold a candle to nine-figure hits, Duck Duck Goose at least looks the part. The colors are vibrant, the action fluid and lively, and the vibes are frequently right. But it's still more Rock Dog than Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero because it forgoes narrative and impacting characters in favor of tired, fish (goose) out of water beats that turn even a slight 82 minutes into a restless affair.
Duck Duck Goose almost got lucky. Like the Mexican-animated film Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos and the seldom-seen/remembered Arcana effort Pixies from 2015, it almost saw a theatrical release where it would've likely pulled in dollars from parents and children curious of what the under-the-radar offering would entail. However, the Chinese animated company Original Force, in conjunction with distributor Open Road Films, decided to quietly pull the film off the theatrical schedule at the eleventh hour before its original April 20, 2018 release date (curiously, the same day Disneynature was supposed to release Dolphins and didn't either). The uncertainty only lasted a few weeks as Duck Duck Goose is now available to stream on Netflix, a destination where it was always set to end up regardless of the forks in the road.
The film admittedly has a cute premise. It revolves around a stubborn, cocky goose named Peng (voiced by Jim Gaffigan), who stumbles upon two lost, little ducklings — the precocious, 16-day-old Chi (Zendaya) and her bumbling brother Chao (Lance Lim) — who claim him as their mother. In an attempt to scram, Peng injures his wing and cannot migrate with the rest of the flock. He acquiesces his newfound duty as the ducklings' guardian and escorts them south to their place of refuge. The three become the target of Banzou (Greg Proops), a cat with dueling personalities, and later, Carl (Reggie Watts), an eccentric flying squirrel who, without giving away specific details, is definitely the Shaggy character of the bunch. You'll know what I mean when you see him.
As opposed to enriching us with the Cars formula (which was rehashed even when that film came out) like Pixar did, with an abundance of memorable supporting characters, enjoyable humor, and terrific ambiance to elevate recognizable tropes, Duck Duck Goose grapples at fruit that hangs so low it practically scrubs the ground. The film consists of similar, slapstick-reliant jokes that pad out an already skimpy runtime, which include, but are not limited to, farting, slapping, falling, puking, and screaming. Once in a while, a zippy, charming sequence, such as one where Peng does all he can to irritate the leader of his flock as they try to maintain a perfect V-formation, or the lengthier one set in a Chinese restaurant, comes along to break up the monotony that is familiar plotting. Those moments come and go, usually leaving inferior scenes behind in their path off the screen and out of our memory.
One must take into consideration the circumstance when reviewing or even recommending a movie. When I gave Incredibles 2 three and a half stars, I made the statement that you should absolutely pay full-price to see the film in theaters. When I gave the previously mentioned Sgt. Stubby a three-star rating, I, too, suggested you should make time for that film if your local multiplex was showing it. Had Duck Duck Goose came to American theaters, perhaps my rating would've dropped a half-star, considering the thought that there were families who would undoubtedly shell out an upwards of $35 for their party of three (and often more) to see the film. Being that Duck Duck Goose is available for free with a Netflix subscription, that's about where it belongs, and as such, the middle of the road is where my rating will sit.
Voiced by: Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya, Lance Lim, Greg Proops, Natasha Leggero, Stephen Fry, Craig Ferguson, and Reggie Watts. Directed by: Chris Jenkins.