Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) is off to college, and she can't wait to be free from her quirky family. But her dad Rick (Danny McBride), mum Linda (Maya Rudolph), and brother Aaron (Mike Rianda) aren't quite so keen to see her go. So when an accident the night before her departure causes tension, Rick decides to cancel Katie's flight so the family can drive her across country in a last ditch effort to save the family bond. Unfortunately for the Mitchells, a tech mogul accidentally starts the robot apocalypse, and this dysfunctional family becomes humanity's last hope for salvation.
Have you ever wondered what your smartphone truly thinks of you? Or your tablet, smart TV, computer, or even your Roomba for that matter. Either way, this could be the movie for you. The Mitchells vs The Machines - besides being a very long title - is a hilarious, action-packed, and oddly relatable sci-fi adventure movie. Think of it as like Judgement Day, just a little sleeker, and with killer Furbies (they actually make Gremlins look cute and fuzzy). Although in this day and age simply turning off the WiFi could be considered an apocalypse.
Writer/directors Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe have answered the question of what happens when the tech we rely on in our everyday lives turns on us. And they've done it using an eye-widening blend of animation styles, much like producers Lord and Miller's previous project; Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse. They've created this incredible animated world that's both beautiful and freakishly realistic (kind of). It's probably not that far off what the end of the world would actually look like, if it was brought about by a tech mogul, anyway. In fact you won't even care that the villain is almost painfully predictable, because you'll be having so much fun with the idea, and the likelihood that it at least falls within the realm of possibility.
As well as depicting the robot apocalypse, the movie perfectly captures the average family dynamic, thanks in no small part to a magnificent voice cast. Katie is this major movie geek - whose younger self is already an internet meme sensation - who doesn't quite fit in, even though she makes awesome movies, mostly starring the adorable family dog 'Monchi'. Like most teenagers, she doesn't feel like her parents get her. But now she's off to film school, where she'll be surrounded by her people, and she's so excited she has no idea how it's affecting her family. Something many of us should be able to relate to; that feeling of wanting to get out on our own, to break free from family, no matter how much you love them. Of course the reactions of the family are equally relatable. Rick keeps on trying to fix everything, no matter how much he screws it up. While Linda is caught in the middle of Rick and Katie, as she simply tries to hold the family together. And Aaron, well Aaron's a socially awkward, dinosaur obsessed kid who's worried about losing his big sister/best friend - watch out for the scene where he meets the girl who lives next door.
Rianda and Rowe have built an adventure around the struggle many parents face in the 21st century, especially when it comes to their kids and technology. It all makes for an amusing commentary on high tech vs low tech and old school vs new school. All of which is wrapped up in this madcap adventure/journey of discovery that also happens to be a battle to save the human race, and it's not long before you are completely drawn in... not to mention laughing your arse off!
Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe knock it out of the park with this apocalyptic, animated, family drama, road trip movie. The animation is incredible, and the story is both fun and relatable. It's for this reason that The Mitchells vs The Machines can and should be enjoyed by the whole family... together.
10/10
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