The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Sony's new animated movie directed by Mike Rianda, is already being compared to the studio's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse based on its similar 2D/3D hybrid animation, as well as Phil Lord and Chris Miller's involvement as producers. That's a high bar to clear, but one the film does thanks to its inventive storytelling and themes that are more timely than ever, especially in light of current events.
Rianda's sci-fi action/comedy begins in media res, with the Mitchells being pursued by a legion of flying robots in their burnt-orange 1993 station wagon. It's an excellent tone-setter that doubles as an introduction to Katie Mitchell (Broad City co-creator and star Abbi Jacobson), an aspiring teenaged filmmaker who's grown up on a steady diet of pulpy genre movies and YouTube videos. And while her quirky sensibilities have prevented Katie from fitting in at school, she finally meets people her age who get her upon being accepted to her dream college in Los Angeles.
Hoping to reconnect with Katie before her new life starts, her nature-adoring dad Rick (Danny McBride) decides their whole family should take a road trip and drive her to California, rather than having her fly. With no choice but to grin and bear it, Katie sets off with Rick, her ever-positive mom Linda (Maya Rudolph) and dinosaur-loving younger brother Aaron (Rianda), who vibes with her creative outlook, across the U.S. for one last bit of family bonding. Of course, everything changes when PAL (Olivia Colman), a disgruntled virtual assistant created by PAL Labs, initiates a tech uprising, with only the Mitchells standing in the way of the robot apocalypse.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines is animated to look and feel like one of Katie's DIY movies, complete with strange hand-drawn style figures in the corners of every other shot, non-stop sight gags, some brilliant pop culture references and rainbows everywhere the eye can see. (And yes, the movie's queer subtext is ultimately made explicit.) It recalls not only Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but also the live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in the way it combines different art techniques to create its own innovative and exciting visual language, forgoing realism in favor of stylization.
With lovably oddball characters brought to life by a cast with a wide range of vocal inflections, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is a delightful adventure that manages to feel fresh and emotionally satisfying, even while adhering to a relatively formulaic but otherwise well-executed three-act narrative. What's more, as fast-paced and rapid-fire as the film's plot can be, it also takes the time to pause and allow its heroes a quiet moment for reflection here and there, before moving on to the next exhilarating set piece or sequence.
Originally intended for theaters, The Mitchells vs. The Machines was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and later picked up by Netflix for streaming. Even so, it's a movie that frequently feels like it's directly commenting on the status quo, in ways both purely accidental -- PAL's robot army separating humans into isolated holding cells -- and intended, with its themes about how technology allows people to be themselves and form connections that they couldn't in the past, much to the confusion of those who didn't grow up with mobile phones and tablets. In that respect, it's a better "pandemic film" than most of the actual ones made in response to the ongoing health crisis.
Bolstered by its ambitious visuals, heartfelt story and sheer imagination, The Mitchells vs. The Machines marks the latest great achievement by Sony Animation, as well as yet another item for Lord and Miller to add to their winning streak as producers and/or directors. Families and animation fans of all ages will want to join the Mitchells on their unexpected quest to save the world.
Starring the voice talents of Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric André, and Olivia Colman, The Mitchells vs. The Machines will be available to stream on Netflix on April 30.