During the recent school holidays I tagged along on ‘Nanna Day’, where my friend Deb takes her grandchildren Jack and Bridie for fish ‘n chips followed by a multiplex movie.

I go because a) I like fish ‘n chips and b) I like the way so many kids’ movies, especially animated ones, are designed to keep the kid-escorting adults happy.

I also find it interesting to observe how the kids react to popular culture, and how their reactions change over the years. Storks was not quite as good as Shaun the Sheep or Zootopia, but I still enjoyed it more than Jack and Bridie appeared to. I think it might have been pitched to a younger demographic than them. There was plenty of goodie vs baddie action, and a suitably modern bottom line that families are based mainly on love rather than categories. But I don’t think they quite got the social satire involved in the premise that storks – yes, those baby-delivering birds – have long since abandoned their core business and expanded into a big transport and delivery operation, along the way acquiring all those vices that bedevil the corporate world: foolish ambition, the preoccupation with profits over service.

Snap poll after Storks: Jack’s favourite movie is Star Wars 7, and Bridie’s is Maleficent. Next time I’ll ask them to rate the movie with stars, but from me this time: three stars.

This review was first published on Facebook in October 2016.