Review of The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) by Thequietgamer — 09 May 2021

Sony Pictures Animation has been behind a number of critical misfires over the years and are responsible for one of the greatest cinematic travesties of all time with The Emoji Movie. So even as someone who has enjoyed the likes of Hop and the first Smurfs, I myself am blown away by the fact that they just managed to release something that rivals the best works from the likes of Disney and Pixar. Make no mistake, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one the freshest, most inventive, and highest quality animated films across the board to come out over the past few years.

What's remarkable is that it's not even doing anything that new thematically. The premise involving a dysfunctional family coming together to stop a robot apocalypse is certainly novel and the whole thing is backed by a one-of-a-kind sense of visual flair, but the real heart of the story centered around the strained relationship of a father and daughter who simply don't "get" each other is nothing we haven't seen before. It even makes use of the old cliché plot device where the dad forces his family into an impromptu road trip in an effort to try and repair things.

What allows the movie to achieve some emotional resonance despite this are the characters themselves. The Mitchells are a lovable group of oddball outcasts. As someone who himself has always been a bit different from everyone else and experiences his own familial woes, I related to them and their non-machine related plight in my own way. Something that was made easier by the fact that, while over-the-top, their idiosyncrasies weren't so ridiculous that I couldn't see something of myself inside each one of them.

When it's not tugging on the ol' heartstrings, The Mitchells is tickling your funny bone with maximum efficiency. It fires a near-constant volley of jokes almost always hit their target without going outside the realm of family-friendly, and poke fun at things like the always plugged in nature of modern day life while critiquing the kind of problematic behavior tech companies often engage in, such as Zuckerbergian data harvesting. This is on top of providing a number of exciting setpieces that help ensure the entire experience is a zany, touching, and hilarious blast for the whole family all the way through. Unless you're among the super conservative type, in which case the presence of a gay main character will likely be a turn off.

It's something of a minor tragedy that due to covid this ended up having to release on Netflix. While a huge win for the streaming service and its subscribers, this was honestly worthy of a theater ticket and I would have recommended it be seen on the big screen if only to better appreciate all of the little details in the animation itself. So if you need another reason to sign up for that monthly fee look no further. In all seriousness this may have dethroned Stranger Things as the best content on the platform.

9.