The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021)
Animation has always been one of my favourite genres. Not bound by the limits of special effects and generally speaking the perfect antidote to the goings on in the world, they are a small ray of light in a pretty murky world.
Whether it’s soaring over the waves with Toothless, prowling the savannah with Simba or exploring everything the Axiom has to offer, animation has the ability to whisk you away to a different and immersive world.
The latest family animation to hit our (small) screens in the days of COVID-19 is The Mitchells vs The Machines, brought to you by the studio behind Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, cough The Emoji Movie cough and of course the fabulous Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. But just how good is it?
Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school. But their plans to bond as a family soon get interrupted when the world’s electronic devices come to life to stage an uprising. With help from two friendly robots, the Mitchells must now come together to save one another, and the planet, from the new technological revolution.
Absolutely seeping in detail, this is up there with some of the very best the animated genre has to offer. Beautifully bright colours, and a similar animation style to the studio’s Meatballs offerings, The Mitchells vs The Machines is a sublime mix of slick 3D animation and more traditional 2D elements. It really is gorgeous to watch.
The action scenes too are brilliant. Our family battle demon Furbies (remember those?) as well as a number of vicious household appliances in a collection of sequences that really showcase the talent working at Sony Animation at the moment.
And the voice cast too is excellent. With a roster of talent that includes Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph and Olivia Colman to name but a few, it is abundantly clear that Sony Animation wanted the very best talents in the industry to lend the film some zing, and then some. Colman is absolutely sublime as the film’s main antagonist, whether having a casual strop or cackling menacingly to her minions, and each of the Mitchell family has a very distinct vocal tone, really adding to the depth of the finished product.
When it comes to story, I will put it out there: it is not original. Whether you look to the Terminator film series or standalone science fiction films like I,Robot, the uprising of devices and technology has been done before, and done to death.
What makes The Mitchells vs The Machines extra special is that the uprising of the world’s technology almost becomes a subplot as director Michael Rianda (who also voices youngest Mitchell, Aaron) tackles a number of different themes that really do resonate in real life.
Whether it’s the older generation not truly understanding the smartphones we so desperately rely on, or the issues of families growing apart as they age, there are some really poignant moments that this reviewer can certainly pinpoint elements of my own life to.
And that’s where The Mitchells vs The Machines shines brightest. Underneath the glossy animation and world-saving antics of our main family, this is a film primarily about just that… family. Sure that may not be the most original thing in the world, films about family are ten-a-penny these days, this has to be one of the smartest to date.
It’s not perfect, sometimes the plot strays a little too far into silly territory, but this is an absolutely brilliant family film that has something for everyone, be it dad, mum, grandad or grandma – and that’s something you can’t often say about the genre.
People often look to Pixar’s The Incredibles for the perfect animated family – but I honestly thing we have a new unit on the block – don’t mess with the Mitchells, they really do mean business. Oh, and put down your smartphone for god’s sake and read a book – trust me, you will thank me later.
Will have a look at this one