The Mitchells vs the Machines

The Mitchells vs the Machines
Starring Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda
Directed by Mike Rianda & Jeff Rowe

Back before the pandemic hit, I saw a trailer for a movie called "Connected," and thought it didn't look all that appealing, like something that tried to be something smarter than it was. Then the pandemic hit and I totally forgot about it, until my friend at work talked about a movie on Netflix called "The Mitchells vs the Machines," and when I went to watch the trailer, I found that it was the same movie, just under a different title. My friend swore up and down that it was one of the best animated films he's ever seen, and I decided to finally give it a go - and I'm so glad I did. Not only was it filled with action and excitement, but there's a deep, emotional draw to the movie that celebrates the quirkiness of the individual as well as the power and love of family.

Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) has been glued to the Internet for years, devoting her time to creating unique videos starring her lovable (if not dumb) pug Monchi with the help of her dinosaur-loving brother Aaron (Mike Rianda). Their mother, Linda (Maya Rudolph), is incredibly supportive, but their father Rick (Danny McBride) doesn't understand technology and this causes a rift between father and daughter that was once solid. When Katie is accepted to a film school, this furthers the divide between the two before Rick comes up with a plan to bring them together again - a cross-country family road trip to take Katie to her school.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Bowman (Eric Andre), the founder of the artificial intelligence PAL, unveils a newer, updated version, which angers his original prototype (Olivia Colman), who hacks into the system and turns the robots into mercenaries to her will, abducting humanity and encasing them in small spaces as she prepares to launch them all into space, leaving only technology behind. The Mitchells are the only humans left who haven't been captured, and they use their lack of knowhow and offbeat chemistry to combat the machines and save humanity - as well as growing closer as a family.

"The Mitchells vs the Machines" was produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, two men that Disney would've wanted on their payroll: they've produced some of the best non-Disney animated films in recent memory, including both "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" films, and the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (which beat out two Disney juggernauts "The Incredibles 2" and "Ralph Breaks the Internet"), and "The Mitchells vs the Machines" has a strong chance to garner another Oscar win (and especially a nomination). The film is elegantly designed, perfectly animated with just enough balance of nearly-realistic art style and viral video ingenuity that makes for a fantastical family-road-trip adventure that the entire family can enjoy.

The story follows the Mitchell family (who puts the "fun" in dysfunctional) as they embark on a road trip to take eldest daughter Katie to film school, all the while hiding tensions that have grown with the years between Katie and father Rick, as neither one understands where the other is coming from (Katie doesn't get Rick's lack of interest in her videos, while Rick doesn't get Katie's passion and fears she won't be successful). It sounds like a cliched, generic setup, but it works - because this is what many American families face: the growing divide between the tech-savvy youth and the pragmatic adults, and it works out wonderfully here. There's no one-note characters here, as the entire family showcases their quirky manners and their deep-seeded love for one another as they come together to battle an unending legion of robots and evil technology, and have a blast doing it.

The Mitchell family is heightened not just with their idiosyncratic appearances, but by the dedicated voice actors behind the scenes. Abbi Jacobson gives Katie more than just a typical teenage-angst voice, but one who embraces her uniqueness and creativity that gives her an inner strength that allows her to be fully confident in her lack of understanding. Danny McBride could've played Rick very cut-and-dry, but he gives the lovable goofy father a deep emotional center that shows with highly moving home movies that showcases the once-tight bond between himself and Katie, and his desire to bring that bond back together. Maya Rudolph plays Linda with an underlying sense of near-embarrassment (as she idolizes her perfect next door neighbors, voiced by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen), but still manages to love her offbeat family and really showcases mamma-bear moments that only add to her complexity. Then there's Mike Rianda (who also co-directed the film), who voices young Aaron not as a child's voice but a man's, giving Aaron his own charm as he loves dinosaurs above all else, and is incredibly shy around other people (especially girls), as well as his own fears of losing his best (and only) friend with Katie. The supporting vocal talent is also exceptional. Eric Andre plays Mark Bowman as a blended Mark Zuckerberg/Steve Jobs. Olivia Colman relishes in playing the villainous AI PAL (a hilarious knock-off from the classic "2001: A Space Odyssey" maniacal machine HAL), while Fred Armisten and Beck Bennett steal the show as two malfunctioning robots who join the Mitchells in stopping PAL.

The action, drama, and comedy all blend together seamlessly with intense action sequences set against viral backdrops that looks like one of Katie's home movies, as well as cut-away gags that would make Seth MacFarlane jealous (such as when Rick mentions to the family about a trap he once made in the woods and how well it worked out, in which a cut-away view showed it wasn't as well-thought-out as he said). Not only is the action and comedy in full effect, but the drama as well, playing out like a "National Lampoon's Vacation" film mixed in with "Terminator" and "Eighth Grade." There's not a moment wasted in the almost two-hour runtime (which, surprisingly, didn't feel that long), and every note hit like the most amazing orchestra in history strung them together, all wrapped up in a beautifully animated tale that highlights the uniqueness of individuality, the undying power of family, and the real, unseen power that technology holds over us. It's one of those films that needs to be seen multiple times to get everything that's happening, because you're laughing too hard during several moments and you miss even more moments to laugh out loud. This is the film we need today, now more than ever.

Blending action, comedy, and family drama like an ardent artist, "The Mitchells vs the Machines" is a beautifully woven tapestry of an animated cinematic masterpiece, a film that the entire family can enjoy over and over due to its brilliant animation, family humor, and fun, lively action.

The Score: A+