STORKS

Incredibly emotional and working with a lot of different family ideas and dynamics, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear... maybe a tear and a half. Samberg, the consummate comedian, is perfect as Junior and clearly had a lot of fun in the recording booth. Interestingly, first-time animation director Nicholas Stoller (‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’) has chosen to fill some of the roles with voice actors rather than of marquee names, and ‘Storks’ is better for it. After Stoller’s stints with The Muppets in recent years, this writer-director has clearly found a niche and affinity for children’s stories with heavy adult tones, showcasing great and hilarious nuances for both demographics.

Whether it’s laughing at a wolf pack turning themselves into a submarine (my 25-year-old boyfriend) or a half-asleep argument as to who should settle a crying baby (me) it’s hard not to recognise that Stoller’s supreme comedic talents have transferred effortlessly to animation. Produced by the who’s who of television and cinema comedy including the brains-trust behind ‘How I Met Your Mother’, ‘Crazy Stupid Love’, ‘Ratatouille’ and the ‘Jump Street’ movies, it’s no wonder this one stands out among the overly juvenile and insultingly stupid G- and PG-rated films that come to pass these days.

‘Storks’ might air a little on the mature side in some parts - a warning to all parents who don’t want to have the “Mummy, what’s an orphan?” conversation or “Daddy, where do babies really come from? - but screw it. If you’re an adult who loves comedy, no matter the form it comes in, then ‘Storks’ is a winner. If you’ve got kids and can no longer stand those @$%#ing Minions, then bonus wins for you too.