The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is a hilarious family-friendly comedy that is filled with gorgeous animation and a fun story.
There is a lot to love about The Mitchells Vs. The Machines — the humor, the voice casting, the stunning animation, and the story line. If you are looking for a movie that will have you laughing until your sides hurt, but maybe also tearing up a bit, this one is for you. The quirky family is easy to relate to, and if you don’t already have a pug, you will be wanting one.
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines has gone through some changes to get to where it is now, but that is all for the better. This movie was originally titled Connected, and even got a trailer. Once the new trailer with the new title was released, there were some obvious animation style changes and maybe even a bit of a story change. It all seemed to work our for the best though, as this movie is sure to be a hit with everyone who watches it.
This movie follows the Mitchells as they embark on a cross country road trip in order to bring the oldest child, Katie, to college. Wanting to use this time to connect as a family and rekindle relationships, her dad plans this trip behind her back after cancelling her flight to California.
Katie is quirky and artsy, spending most of her time creating YouTube videos and movies. Her little brother, Aaron, has an almost unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs, and is sad to see his sister leaving home. While on the road something that none of them could predict happens, there is a robot uprising and almost all humans are captured.
What Works With The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
Is it weird to say everything in this section? The Mitchells vs. The Machines is an almost perfect movie. The humor in this movie is spot on. Kids and adults will be cracking up time and time again. It is always nice when animated family films have jokes for older kids and parents too, and that is exactly what this one pulls off so well. The score is also incredible with a few boppin’ moments — you will know what I am talking about when you watch it — that will have everyone dancing and singing, while smiling ear to ear.
One of the best things about this movie is the animation, which should come as no surprise since it is from the same people as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This is what makes this film so much fun. There is a ton to look at as there is animation over animation, and a few different styles when Katie’s art is taken into consideration. Speaking of Katie, the details of her character, right down the doodling and ink on her hands and fingers, is pure perfection. She feels like an artsy teenager through and through, which is part of what makes this wacky movie so believable.
It is very easy to relate to the family as a whole. A dad who doesn’t know how to connect to his daughter or use technology, an artsy teen that just can’t wait to leave home, a weird kid brother who loves dinosaurs, and a mom who wants nothing more than her family to get along and to upstage her nice — but perfect — neighbors. Oh, and don’t forget the pug, he is important to the story too — and such a gentleman!
The voice cast is absolutely perfect, and I cannot imagine any changes being made. Each actor captured the personality of their character so well, that is just feels right.
The story itself is intriguing and captivating, although a tad bit predictable. Not necessarily a bad thing though, because the ride is a while lot of fun. Even though it might be easy enough to figure out the ending and major plot points, the whole way of getting there is stunning to look at, hilarious to listen to, and just an all around good time.
What Doesn’t Work With The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, which is a really good thing. It clocks in at almost two hours, which can be a bit long, but it doesn’t drag by any means. If ten to fifteen minutes were cut out would it still work? Probably, but it would be hard to find a moment that isn’t enjoyable enough to keep in.
Another small issue with The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is the pacing. While it doesn’t completely ruin the story, it could be switched around a bit for a more cohesive viewer experience. It starts off with an explanation of the robot apocalypse, then cuts to Katie explaining her life and why they are a bad family, and then, after about thirty minutes, catches up to where the film started. Still, this is just nitpicking for faults in a really, REALLY good movie.
Overall Thoughts
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is sure to be a hit with pretty much anyone who watches it — no matter their age. It has adventure, humor, great music, and a story about the robot apocalypse. There is a surprising amount of action and the characters are extremely relatable. While the story is a bit predictable, it is a still a whole lot of fun to watch, and compelling enough to keep the audience interested throughout the entire film.
Hilarious and heartwarming — and will also make you look at technology in a different way. Don’t trust robots!
About The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
From the humans who brought you the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The LEGO Movie comes The Mitchells vs. The Machines, an animated action-comedy about an ordinary family who find themselves in the middle of their biggest family challenge yet…saving the world from the robot apocalypse. No big deal, right?
It all starts when creative outsider Katie Mitchell is accepted into the film school of her dreams and is eager to leave home and find “her people,” when her nature-loving dad insists on having the whole family drive her to school and bond during one last totally-not-awkward-or-forced road trip. But just when the trip can’t get any worse, the family suddenly finds itself in the middle of the robot uprising!
Everything from smart phones, to roombas, to evil Furbys are employed to capture every human on the planet. Now it’s up to the Mitchells, including upbeat mom Linda, quirky little brother Aaron, their squishy pug, Monchi, and two friendly, but simple-minded robots to save humanity.
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines hits Netflix on April 30th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.