Benjamin Renner’s new comedy Migration offers a winning combination of a charming narrative and distinctive animation style. The film, which was written by White Lotus creator Mike White, is a tale of how a family of mallards embarks on an inspired journey from New England to Jamaica.

The Mallards, as they are aptly named, are a quartet of ducks living in a quiet pond somewhere in the Northeast. As in Renner’s striking 2012 animation Ernest & Celestine, Migration begins at bedtime. We meet Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) as he narrates a chilling story to his ducklings, Dax (Casper Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal), about the dangers of leaving their nest. He weaves an energetic tale about predatory herons and other monsters ready to devour adventure-seeking ducks. His stories have a fantastical edge to them, the preferred posture of overprotective parents.

Mack’s active imagination can only be curbed by the stern and loving interjections of his wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks). She counters his scary details with softer, more encouraging conclusions. The hungry heron actually wants to help the ducks, she tells her youngest, Gwen and no, the kids don’t die in the end. As the story ends, Migrations cuts to show us the figures behind these voices. Two-dimensional portraits of herons are replaced by scenes that mix 2D and 3D animation in a sophisticated manner. The Mallards, rendered three-dimensionally, do not ever look out of place in their surroundings, which have an old-school storybook quality.

But some ducks do feel out of place. Pam craves adventure and dreams of life beyond the pond routines. When a flock of migrating birds stop to rest near their home, she’s keen to hear about their travels. The group invites the Mallards to join them on their trip to the south, where warmer temperatures, sandy beaches and allegedly glowing water await them. Mack refuses, and his rude outburst causes a brief alienation from his family.

Migration is a story about how the Mallards do eventually experience life outside the pond. The film moves briskly and with a sense of purpose, a relief considering how many children’s films these days are overly long and too concerned with proving their own cleverness. White’s script efficiently introduces our flock of characters and gets us into the sky. By the time Mack, Pam, Gwen, Dax and their Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) fly into the clouds, we’re barely a half hour in.

Although the film adheres to a familiar formula, White’s screenplay offers plenty of real laugh-out-loud moments. Some of the funniest parts are early on, like when the family happens upon a heron who shares an uncanny resemblance to my favourite Disney villain, Yzma of The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s never quite clear if the long-legged bird has ill intentions or if Mack’s paranoia is infectious, but the situation gives off a healthy sense of danger and real stakes. Is Erin the Heron (a scene stealing Carol Kane) trying to eat the Mallards for dinner or is her version of hospitality just oddly frightening?

What’s nice about Migration is how, between the comedic bits and tangential adventures, it never loses sight of the lessons embedded in the Mallards’ story. A well-assembled cast of voice actors brings the characters to life. Migration’s considerable appeal perhaps lies in the simplicity of its premise: The hardest part of embarking on any new journey is taking off.