Netflix’s The Mitchells Vs The Machines – Authentic and Heartfelt Family Animation (Early Review)

Animated movies are a special medium of filmmaking as they are made to appease children and adults while offering thought-provoking stories and establishing valuable life lessons. The Mitchells Vs The Machines is no different. Exploring the theme of how technology impacts our everyday life and the family dynamic, it also tackles being obsessed with the relativity of being “normal”. The film follows the dysfunctional Mitchell family, the sole survivors of a robot apocalypse who must now work together in order to save the world. The film features an all-star cast including McBride as Rick Mitchell, Rudolph as Linda Mitchell, Jacobson as Katie Mitchell, and co-writer and co-director Rianda as Aaron Mitchell. With so many talented people attached, this movie carries many unforgettable scenes. The film is a fun time that everyone can enjoy.

Finding one’s identity is as important as they come. A coming of age story that doesn’t really follow the natural tropes makes The Mitchells Vs The Machines so refreshing. Meanwhile, the Mitchells are not your ordinary family and did not fit in the mould of a traditional family. Labeled as outcasts, this proved to work to their advantage. Teaching kids that being different and weird is always a valuable lesson. Accepting who one is and following their passion is one of the film’s biggest driving forces. Being accepted doesn’t always mean that everyone will be a fan and that’s ok. There will always be those to support others and appreciate the skills one can offer. The film arguably drags in moments while offering superfluous scenes in order to get that point across. As a result, its running time feels longer than it probably should be. In the end, the character development was still well-executed and delivered lessons without feeling heavy-handed.

Technology is our doom and our savior. It brings people closer together, yet it also can distance us. The use of technology in The Mitchells Vs The Machines was the epitome of this while making for some great comedic moments. Depending on how it is used, it can be for the betterment of people or worsen our own interactions with each other. We see the beauty of technology and how it is used to connect people together and also share creativity. The Mitchells spend time on their phones over dinner as others abuse the power of technology. The contrast shows the good and evil of technology as the social commentary on the tech industry as a whole is definitely there. However, it definitely wasn’t all doom and gloom.

Family relationships are very odd and often very complicated. The Mitchells’ dynamic is heartwarming and reassuring. That dynamic features authentic moments of disconnect that are sure to remind viewers’ of their own families. Despite some tonal inconsistencies, it’s easy to forget them for the most part. As a whole, The Mitchells Vs The Machines offered a deep and compelling story that did all the family member characters justice, allowing viewers to connect with them on an emotional level. Plenty of heartfelt scenes are scattered throughout to take advantage of that emotion and combined with its great character development made the film stand out even more. Though its humor did fall flat at times as it was clearly  tailored for a younger audience, it was fine. The writing didn’t seem to feature any adult humor unlike other animated films. That being said, there was still a lot of jokes very relevant to today. Meanwhile, the animation was unblemished and was well crafted. The combination of live action imagery with the animation was just hilarious to watch and is something not often seen in animated films. The use of comic-like animation to surround the characters also helped drive the tone of scenes.

When any animated film of this high caliber voice talent is made, it always comes with some higher expectation. The Mitchells Vs The Machines is definitely a film that matches these expectations. Although it is not perfect, it is a very enjoyable film overall for families but especially for kids who will find themselves easily distracted. There is a lot to learn from its insight about the world around us. Family is important and the film perfectly shows how imperfect a family is in reality. Embracing one’s inner weird is everything in life. Being different is what makes us unique and is what makes us, us.

The Mitchells vs The Robots will have viewers laughing and wanting more. The characters are so much fun to follow around and they are completely unpredictable. Check this one out!

still courtesy of Netflix

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Frederick Nuti