Anthomation Assesses The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Howdy guys, Anthomation here. Today I shall review the latest film from Sony Animation: The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines was directed by Mike Rianda (in his feature directorial debut) and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (producers of such hits as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2017) and The Lego Movie (2014)). The film was originally planned to be released theatrically by Sony Pictures Releasing under the title Connected in 2020, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on movie theaters, Sony sold the main distribution rights to Netflix. Netflix retitled it to The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and released it in select theaters on April 23, 2021, before its streaming release on April 30.

Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school. But their plans to bond as a family soon get interrupted when the world’s electronic devices come to life to stage an uprising. With help from two friendly robots, the Mitchells must now come together to save one another — and the planet — from the new technological revolution.

This is a story that does not rely on its plot originality, but rather its message that it is trying to convey. Because on the surface, a road trip movie about a dysfunctional family that has to come together in times of peril has been done to death. One of the things that make this movie stand out is the fact that it really tries to be hip with the current generation. Did I forget to mention that this movie is also a cautionary tale about technology rising up against humans. Which is definitely not a bad theme, but they play it up so much throughout the entire that people are addicted to their screens and it’s their only form of communication. This would not be too bad if it took place in a post-apocalyptic world like 9 (2009), but this is supposed to be in the present. What are you trying to say in the movie: that all people can’t get off their phones and talk to each other? This is pretty hypocritical of me to say since I am currently using my phone to type up this review, but you get my point. It does not help that random YouTube videos and drawings of Katie’s emotional state constantly pop up out of the blue. The latter can be really creative, but it overstays its welcome and derails any continuity in the narrative. 

The animation really presents itself well in the world that the characters partake in. The movements of the characters are cartoonish and over-the-top. The facial expressions are cartoonish and over-the-top. The overall bouncy nature of each character is fill in the blank. This fits so well with how relentlessly wild the story and humor is. Also, the characters themselves are visually appealing and present themselves to emote in a multitude of ways. The backgrounds are well-constructed and can be colorful and elaborative. And while I did find the cutaways to random drawings to be quite annoying, I can appreciate the fact that it does mix 2D with 3D animation in a unique way. Overall, the film is visually pleasing to see.

A lot like the story, the characters of the movie can be one-dimensional, but can be heartfelt in that one dimension. There is Katie Mitchell, an aspiring filmmaker who is the daughter of Rick and Linda, and Aaron’s older sister. She is the protagonist who is looking at college as an escape route from her destructive family and to jumpstart her filmmaking career. By the way, Katie wanting to become a filmmaker made me relate to her a lot more. There’s Rick Mitchell (voiced by Danny McBride), the father of Katie and Aaron, and Linda’s husband. He is the parent that is obsessed with the old ways of doing things, creating a lot of conflict between him and Katie. I was waiting for Katie to sing Just Around the Riverbend. There’s Linda Mitchell (voiced by Maya Rudolph), the mother of Katie and Aaron, and Rick’s wife. She is the understanding parent who gets what Katie is going through. Also, Maya Rudolph needs to stop popping up in my reviews. There’s Aaron Mitchell, the dinosaur-loving son of Rick and Linda, and Katie’s younger brother. And then there is PAL, a virtual assistant invented by PAL founder Mark Bowman. She is the antagonist who wants to get rid of the entire human race as revenge for being thrown away by Bowman. The part where these characters shine through the most is with the movie’s message about families coming together in times of peril. The interactions between the family especially showcase the character’s ability to have heartfelt conversations and emotions. 

Wow, this movie was something else. With a story that is predictable but wonky, animation that is cartoonishly sound, and characters that have been seen before but heartfelt, this is a film that is wacky but with good intentions. A lot like Meet the Robinsons (2007), this is a film that may not be your drink of water, though is recommendable to check out at least once.

Score:

6/10