The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is yet another movie I wish I could have seen on the big screen, rather than on my laptop.  With its vibrant visuals, combining lush CG animation with hand drawn touches and doodles, this is a visually amazing film that constantly impresses.  The writing and directing team of Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe (TV's Gravity Falls), along with producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), have created a film that is not only a joy to watch, but often hilarious, and frequently heartwarming and touching.

If I must be grateful for one thing about its move from its planned theatrical release last year to its new home on Netflix, it's the title.  Back when it was planned for theaters, it was going to be released under the much more generic title of Connected.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines is obviously a better title, and I applaud the change.  The titular Mitchells are your typical suburban dysfunctional family facing the usual generation gap issues that a lot of families go through at some point as the film opens.  Teen daughter Katie (voice by Abbi Jacobson) is a budding filmmaker who produces a series of short films on YouTube called Dog Cop, starring her overweight bug-eyed pug dog, Monchi.  Like all teens, Katie is obsessed with technology, as is her kid brother and dinosaur-fanatic, Aaron (Mike Rianda).  Their parents are the old fashioned and nature-loving father Rick (Danny McBride), who feels increasingly distanced from his children and their interests, and mom Linda (Maya Rudolph), who is basically trying to hold the family together at all times.  

Katie is eager to begin a new chapter in her life when she leaves home to go to film school in California, but is shocked to discover that her dad has arranged a last minute surprise road trip for the family, where they will all go together to drive her to college.  This family vacation happens to coincide with the impending robot apocalypse, when a vengeful AI app named PAL (Olivia Colman) decides to wage war against all humanity when she learns that her tech giant creator is planning to replace her with a new model.  She takes control of all smart devices and an army or robots in order to capture and contain all humans on Earth, until only the Mitchell family is left.  

I want to stop and talk more about the visual look of this film, because it's one of its greatest assets.  Much like the previously mentioned Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the movie embraces multiple art styles that are often used together in the same sequence, creating a look like no other film I can think of.  When it comes to CG animation, it always seems to excite me more when the artists employ a style that serves as a throwback to classic 2D animation rather than photo realism, and the exaggerated look of the characters and backgrounds, as well as their fluid and almost rubbery movements is a testament to that.  I also love the little artistic touches throughout, like cartoon wording or letters appearing around the corner of the screen, or the small hand-drawn sketches that symbolize what Katie is thinking at that moment.  This is a movie that is constantly giving you new visuals to enjoy, the highlight being a Dawn of the Dead-inspired visit to an abandoned mall that is overrun with deadly appliances and killer Furby toys.  Trust me, it works in the context, and it's hilarious.  

Most of the movie is quite funny, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once, and smiling even more.  It's also quite sweet and heartfelt, with Rick and Katie learning to understand and respect one another during their impromptu mission to save humanity.  While this is expected, the screenplay finds clever ways to mix their bonding in within the robot apocalypse plot, such as Katie using what her dad taught her about driving a stick shift car during a key sequence.  The sentimental moments never feel forced, and the voice over performances of Jacobson and McBride sell both their differences, and the genuine love that they do hold for each other.  Even the mom Linda gets her moment to shine during the climax, which I will not reveal here, while little brother Aaron gets an oddly sweet subplot about wanting to find someone he can connect with who loves dinosaurs as much as him. (He calls up every name in the phone book, asking if they will talk with him about dinosaurs.)

The Mitchells vs. the Machines ultimately has a lot to say about how it can be hard for parents and teens to relate, and it does so in a way that constantly feels fresh and well crafted.  As funny as the movie can be, it works just as well as a true family film that both kids and adults can take away something different from it.  This is a rare kid's film that constantly delights you visually, makes you laugh more than most comedies aimed at adults, and imparts its lessons wisely.

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