No one was prepared just how good Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse really was when it was released in the winter of 2018. It gave birth to a fresh, new and inventive style of animation, but it also had a strong dose of heart and passion. Now, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller weren’t the directors of that movie, instead they served as producers, but there’s an argument that they probably were really hands on with that project than we might realize. They were, however, the directors of The Lego Movie, which caught everyone off guard by great that movie turned out to be. It’s sequel, withstanding, Lord and Miller have produced some great animated movies whether it its the first Lego Movie, Spider-Verse or even the first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs turned out to be a fun and cute animated adventure. They haven’t reached Pixar magic just yet, but with their animated movies now in the public eye they might be getting closer to that stature sooner rather than later. Now, The Mitchells vs. the Machines was announced a few years back and was originally scheduled for a theatrical release in the fall of 2020 but because of COVID-19, the rights for the distribution of the movie were bought out by Netflix in early 2021 for release in the spring. The marketing for this movie was almost the same for how Sony marketed Spider-Verse. It didn’t look terrible, but you could almost make the argument that it looked like a throw away animated flick that wouldn’t perform as well. That movie ended up being terrific and with The Mitchells vs the Machines, this is another win for Sony Pictures Animation and Lord & Miller. The Mitchells vs the Machines is a delightful and relaxing surprise. The animation is full of expressive detail and uniqueness, the characters are fully dimensional and endearing and the movie just works on every level. It’s a movie that full of emotion and value.
Set in the good old state of Michigan, The Mitchells vs the Machines focuses on a quirky and dysfunctional family where their main daughter, Katie Mitchell, is off to go college to start a new chapter for her life. Katie is dying to leave her house and embark on a new phase in her life by attending film school all the way in California. But as Katie has gotten older, her attachment with the rest of her family is gradually fading away, so in order to spend one last time together as a family, her father, Rick Mitchell, cancels her flight to California and decides that the entire family embark on an incredibly long road trip. Their trip suddenly takes a turn for the worst when the entire world’s technology takes over the world to end all of humanity. The Mitchells, along with the help of two friendly robots and their perky dog Monchi, they must work together to defeat the robots and reconnect as a family.
With Spider-Verse and now this movie, Lord and Miller are continuing to impress us with just the kind of magic and impact that great animated movies are capable of and that’s one of the beautiful aspects of this movie in particular. This movie does offer themes and tropes that have been used in thousands of movies, ones that will always pull on the heart strings, and The Mitchells vs the Machines executes its substance and messages in a thunderous way. For a movie that doesn’t come off the way that it did, this is a thematically dense, powerful and it’s an explosive and irresistible piece of entertainment. This is a movie that really strives towards the idea of how important and integral family is and how much it can pull us through the impossible situations. The one aspect of this movie that solidifies that is the development between Katie and her father Rick. A movie with a father and daughter relationship can’t be a wasted opportunity and boy does it pay off in this movie. Rick is dying to rekindle with Katie, despite her passion and desires and the relationship they share comes in full circle by the end. The voice work with Danny McBride and Abbi Jacobson pairs well together, as does the rest of the voice work shine in thus movie.
The animation in this movie is absolutely remarkable not just because how artistic and marvelous it is but because it’s a breath of fresh air from what we typically expect with most of the animated movies that get released. That’s nothing to take away from the craft and amazement that goes into a Pixar, Dreamworks or Illumination movie, but it’s nice to see animated movies change it’s design every now and then and the animation in this movie oozes off the screen magnificently. It’s clearly presented, dimensional and it makes the movie feel more alive.
The Mitchells vs the Machines is also genuinely hysterical the entire way through. Whether it’s the families dog or the terrific and scene stealing malfunctioning robots, this is a terrific comedy that everyone should get a kick out of. The comedy feels appropriate, it never feels tacky and what’s even better is that it never forcefully tries to make you laugh. It gracefully works within the rhythm and beats of the movie.
Overall, this is, surprisingly, an exceptional piece of work from Sony Animation. It delivers dazzling animation, a sense of hope and a heart warming story about the power and significance of family and the growth that lies beneath that. It might be the best movie of the year.
My grade for The Mitchells vs the Machines: A+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 