‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ Review

Sony Animation is an underrated animated studio in an industry that’s dominated by Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks. While they’ve made many forgettable films, the studio has created some absolute gems, especially when working with the team of Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Together, they have created Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. 

Both of these animated features are not only perfect for the whole family but are also absolutely hilarious. They have a unique style in their quirky humor, rapid pacing, and incredible animation. Their newest collaboration, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, is another stellar hit that hopefully gets the attention it deserves despite being on Netflix. 

Premise

While on a college road trip, the Mitchells family finds themselves stuck in a robot apocalypse after the launch of a new app that creates an artificial intelligence that hopes to kidnap all of humanity. Discovering themselves to be the final humans left, the Mitchells must work together to save the day. The Mitchells themselves are a dysfunctional family so saving the day will be quite the challenge

Heartfelt and hilarious

The strength of this movie is the dynamic of this family. Each family member is different than the other. Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) is a rebellious, film-loving teen whose artistry is misunderstood by the rest of her family, especially with her father who she clashes with the most. Rick Mitchell (Danny Glover) feels isolated from the rest of his family as technology goes right over his head. 

Majority of the conflict between the family stems from Rick’s desire to reconnect with his daughter and Katie’s desire to do her own thing. Maya Rudolph is hilarious as the mother of the family and she just wants her family to appear normal. Normal is definitely not what they are, especially with her dinosaur-obsessed son, voiced by Michael Rianda, who also directed the film. 

It’s nice to see a family who isn’t perfect as that is more relatable for many of the family’s watching at home. Most family members are unique, but it’s their common love for each other that makes them a true family. What’s great is that each unique trait of each character becomes key to saving the day so everyone has their chance to shine. Also, I have to mention Monchi, the family pug who’s absolutely adorable. Even he becomes an important factor in the final battle. 

The film is mostly told from Katie’s perspective, which is a good idea, as her chaotic filmmaking correlates to the film we’re watching. It’s fast-paced, vibrant, colorful, and has a crazy sense of humor. The jokes are rapid, and while some miss, most deliver and I found myself laughing throughout the film. There are plenty of hilarious sequences, involving Furby’s, mules, and killer appliances. 

A pair of robots, voiced by SNL alums Fred Armisen and Beck Bennett, are also very funny as they develop their own consciences and try to join this family. The villain, PAL (Olivia Colman), has plenty of funny lines and Colman is able to provide a great personality to a device through just her vocal performance. 

Beautiful animation

Similar to Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, this film looks like a drawing that’s come to life. The characters have outlines on them making them look like sketches. However, their movement is so clear and swift. It does add to a lot of humor and emotion as they have a lot of expression with both their faces and body motions. 

The backgrounds are all really bright and colorful. It matches the buoyancy of the film, however, it can be dark and menacing when it needs to. The colors match the emotions on-screen, adding emphasis to the reaction the film is trying to draw. 

Final verdict

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one of the best-animated movies I’ve seen in a while. Once I saw that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were attached, I became excited because every animated project they’ve worked on has been great. Not only is this film hysterical, it delivers on the emotional aspect, giving us one of the most likable animated families in any movie. I can’t wait to see whatever project they’re churning out next because these films are absolute delights.

Final score: 9/10