I, for One, Welcome The Mitchells vs. the Machines Directed by Mike Rianda
Starring Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Olivia Colman, Maya Rudolph, Conan O Brien, Charlyne Yi, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Fred Armisen, Eric Andre
Published May 03, 2021
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When it comes to crossover animated films that appeal to adults as well as kids, Pixar has dominated the market since the mid- 90s and while the studio s output has been unimpeachable, it has resulted in the films feeling (and looking) a little homogenous.
That s what makes the Sony-produced
The Mitchells vs. the Machines such a welcome breath of fresh air. Its tearjerking family themes are Pixar-esque, but the film also brings a distinct Gen Z perspective even though director Mike Rianda is actually 36, firmly in the millennial generation plus an organic animation style that somehow looks like pencil crayon, claymation and 3D CGI all at once.
Sat 1 May 2021 10.00 EDT
Casting Olivia Colman as the voice of a demonic AI is only the first stroke of genius in this sprightly animated movie, produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). As Pal, a passive-aggressive Siri-like program installed in everyoneâs devices, sheâs cranky, imperious and furious about being replaced by an updated model. âJust do what you always do and stare, slack-jawed, at the screen,â she says, witheringly, before her first act of violence: turning off the wifi.
Meanwhile, artsy teen Katie Mitchell (
Broad Cityâs Abbi Jacobson) is excited to leave Michigan for California, where sheâll start film school and finally âmeet her peopleâ. Her technophobic dad, Rick (Danny McBride), insists the whole family drive her, but the machine apocalypse ignited by Pal proves to be a roadblock along the way.
There are few filmmakers working today who are more versatile than Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Together, the duo has written, directed, or produced som
"The Mitchells vs The Machines" director Mike Rianda and producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord on why technology is both the hero and the villain in their robot apocalypse film.
Neil Soans, TNN, Updated: May 1, 2021, 02.31 PM ISTCritic s Rating: 4.0/5
Story: The Mitchell family is different, but none more so than Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson). She doesn’t quite connect with anyone at school and doesn’t have many friends, although she’s close to her brother Aaron (voiced by director Michael Rianda). Despite the best efforts by her mom, Linda (Maya Rudolph), Katie has outgrown her father Rick (voiced by Danny McBride) and his antics. Katie loves making home videos adding her own special effects. So when she gets admission into film school, she’s ecstatic to meet other kids like her and have her freedom. But on the day she’s supposed to fly out to college, her dad decides to take a family road trip to drop her instead. If that wasn’t bad enough, the world gets taken over by a robot uprising helmed by PAL (voiced by Olivia Colman). The Mitchells must now work together as a family to prevent the AI apocalypse.