Empty Nest
Genre: Animation/Family
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick
Writer: Malcolm Taylor
Cast: Caleb McLaughlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael K. Williams, Tom Kenny, Keith David, Gilbert Gottfried, Chelsea Peretti, Phil LaMarr, Isabela Merced
Plot: A young little penguin named Dexter (Caleb McLaughlin) and his family are living off the shores of southern New Zealand. Dexter’s father Terry (Phil LaMarr) prepares him for his first solo hunt, a symbolic passage into manhood. Dexter’s hunt proves successful but when he returns, he sees his family in the distance being taken by humans - leaving Dexter all alone.
He tries to follow them but finds it difficult since he is a flightless bird. His plight is observed by Nessa (Whoopi Goldberg), a motherly white swan who offers to help. She tracks them and finds that they have been taken to the local zoo. Dexter doesn’t know what that is so she explains it to him. He asks if there is anyway to help them and she says the only thing she knows is to attempt a breakout. A heist, if you will. Dexter is eager to do this but Nessa reminds him that there is a chance they all get caught and taken into captivity.
A recruitment montage of different birds begins to help with the heist. Cosmo the Parrot (Tom Kenny) is at the top of Nessa’s list as he is the only bird who can speak human language, thus his translation will be key. Chester the Owl (Keith David) is one of the smartest birds and can help them crack locks. Wendy the Cardinal (Chelsea Peretti) is a small, agile, and sarcastic bird who can act as the eyes of their operation. And finally, instead of a getaway driver, they need someone who can cause a distraction to aid their escape: Olly the Ostrich (Gilbert Gottfried).
They start their journey and plan their moves. However, unbeknownst to them, they are being tracked by Victor the Vulture (Michael K. Williams) - waiting for any slight misstep as he is on the hunt for roadkill. There are some close calls but they manage to escape him each time.
They reach the zoo and begin their extraction plan. Wendy the Cardinal, the most devoutly religious of them all, says a prayer before they begin. Each member of the squad has a role to play and they do it well except for Dexter, whose lack of flight ability is a challenge. That is until Nessa, the main person needed to get them out of the exhibit, gets distracted by seeing a familiar face: Elle (Isabela Merced), her young daughter. It is then that she reveals the truth to Dexter and the crew: she has been trying to find a way to get back to her daughter for a while now. So while they have the opportunity to escape, she is going to stay behind to be with her family. They try to convince her otherwise but she has made her decision.
Dexter is reunited with his family and the escape begins. However, when Nessa talks to Elle, her daughter reveals that no one likes being gawked at at the zoo and that she yearns for fresh air. It becomes clear that Elle wasn’t captured but left for the zoo voluntarily, but now immensely regrets it. They join up with the rest of the crew as Olly makes for a perfect distraction before joining the others and escaping the zoo.
Once they get back out of the zoo, they are faced with one final confrontation with Victor before they can return to their environment. Chester comes up the idea to use Dexter’s lack of flight as an advantage, so that he can lead Victor to the water - where the vulture would be out of his element. When they do this, Dexter has his triumphant moment and Victor finds himself crosshairs of the zookeepers, who take him in. Dexter introduces Nessa to his family, who thank her for taking Dexter literally under her wing. Meanwhile, she introduces Dexter to Elle, as they are around the same age. Elle tells everyone that one thing is really biting at her: all of her friends at the zoo, of many different kinds, who also want to be liberated.
"Empty Nest is a harmless family film that won't leave parents too bored and should entertain the younger children as well as any of LRF's theatrical animated films."
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