DETAILS
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Stars: 3.0
Starring Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi, Blake Griffin, Conan O'Brien, and Doug the Pug
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Written by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Directed by Mike Rianda
Unrated but contains scenes of cartoon violence
Runtime: 109 minutes
Now available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital HD from Sony Pictures Entertainment
BLU-RAY, DVD AND DIGITAL BONUS MATERIALS
- Katie's Cabinet of Forgotten Wonders: Katie-Vision! Dumb Robots Trailer. The Original Mitchells Story Pitch. The Furby Scene - How? Why? and PAL's World
- The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: Or How a Group of Passionate Weirdos Made a Big Animated Movie
- How To Make Sock Puppets
- How To Make Katie Face Cupcakes
EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY BONUS MATERIALS
- Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter
- Katie’s Extended Cinematic Bonanza Cut!
- 8 Deleted Scenes
- Filmmakers’ commentary
View the trailer at youtube.com/watch?v=_ak5dFt8Ar0
Fair disclosure: I’m a dad whose kids were both under 10 when Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs came out. The year was 2009, and we thoroughly enjoyed the show. In my secret way, I still quote its main character Flint Lockwood who would yell narrating words while he was doing them, like "Computing" while he was computing.
I only mention this because that movie’s co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are a solid team with a huge knack for comedy (they’ve written, directed, and produced films together) though I much prefer their live-action efforts 21 Jump Street, and its sequel 22 Jump Street. I’m still waiting for 23, and 24, and 25, and I will continue to wait. Their other animated production – The Lego Movie – didn’t impress me much. It was like the visual equivalent of too much sugar and caffeine and not enough quiet. Legos are for introspective children who appreciate the meditative and creative aspects of construction, and who doesn’t love the bright monochromatic colours? Am I right? The Lego Movie was a hyper-sonic jazz blast to the senses. Granted, many people disagree with me on this, including my own children.
Digressing!
Fast-forward to 2021 and Lord/Miller are mostly producers and their newest production is The Mitchells vs. the Machines, a new computer-generated animation that can best be summed up with the pitch: imagine the Griswolds against Terminators, with a pinch of Maximum Overdrive. These Terminators are more bipedal anthropomorphic Roombas, however… at least that’s what they make me think of.
The Mitchell family is not a super family. They’re dysfunctional and awkward and weird in each member’s own special way, plus their pug dog Monchi is actually played by Doug the Pug. Yes... that Doug the Pug. This makes him the first pet celebrity to become a voice actor in a major motion picture. So there's that going for this.
'The Mitchells' are teenaged aspiring filmmaker Katie (Abbi Jacobson), her brother Aaron (Mike Rianda? Wait... isn't he the writer/director? Uh... yes he is) and Linda and Rick (Maya Rudolph and Danny McBride, respectively). They're like most families with relationship issues.
The family sets off from Michigan to take Katie to film school in California. At the same time, a sentient AI entity named PAL orders a robot uprising that threatens to ensnare all humanity and hurtle it into space. These things could happen.
Now, it's one thing to save the world from any robot uprising but it's another thing entirely to save your family and make it stronger too.
This is that film.
It's got family, it's got action, and it's got a laser-shooting giant Furby. What more could you want? Oh yeah... it's got that Pug. Mitchells vs. Machines is a lot of fun and I would put it somewhat way above The Lego Movie but perhaps slightly below the quality of the Cloudy with Meatballs. The big question - and every father knows this is coming - is what would my children think, especially now that they're 20ish?
BLU-RAY, DVD AND DIGITAL BONUS MATERIALS
- Katie's Cabinet of Forgotten Wonders: Katie-Vision! Dumb Robots Trailer. The Original Mitchells Story Pitch. The Furby Scene - How? Why? and PAL's World
- The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: Or How a Group of Passionate Weirdos Made a Big Animated Movie
- How To Make Sock Puppets
- How To Make Katie Face Cupcakes
EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY BONUS MATERIALS
- Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter
- Katie’s Extended Cinematic Bonanza Cut!
- 8 Deleted Scenes
Filmmakers’ commentary
