The Mitchells vs. The Machines, directed by Michael Rianda, follows the Mitchell family as they attempt to save the world from a robot apocalypse. The animated movie comes from the esteemed duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, whose filmography consists of The Lego Movie and Oscar winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The animation is the first thing that draws the viewer’s attention. In a similar comic book style as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the movie is able to create a calming, light-hearted feeling.  

The Mitchells vs. The Machines, like all great family-friendly movies, is able to effectively overlay an interesting premise (the robot apocalypse) with a serious matter (a father and daughter relationship). Although the title suggests that the movie is about the Mitchell family, the true story is about Katie and Rick Mitchell. With Katie preparing to go to college, her father decides to take the entire family on a road trip to drop her off. At the root of Katie and Rick’s relationship, there is a lack of understanding for one another. Katie wants to pursue a career in film while Rick has difficulty understanding technology and Katie’s interests. 

Along the road trip, naturally, the robot apocalypse occurs, and the Mitchell family is humanity’s last hope. A major theme in the movie is technology’s impact on society, which makes sense because the movie was previously titled Connected. Also, unlike the majority of films that include the internet or social media, The Mitchells vs. the Machines does a good job of not having any “dead trends” or “cringeworthy” moments that often pervade and are distracting in other movies. Instead, many of the jokes and references made will find an audience in every group. Parents, kids, or anyone else can find something to laugh about in the movie. 

If you wish to see Olivia Colman as an ominous phone, watch living Furbys, and listen to Rihanna, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is certainly the movie for you. Or, if you just want a movie that will be a joy from start to finish, then this also will fit your criteria. Though the Oscars just concluded last month, it’s not too early to look to next year. You will most likely be seeing The Mitchells vs. The Machines somewhere, and it will be at the Oscars, deservingly so. 

The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which was originally planned for a Sony release last year, was a victim of the Covid-19 movie shuffle. The movie was bought by Netflix for a total of $110 million and is now available to stream on their platform.