The Mosley Review: The Mitchell’s vs The Machines

There aren't many animated family films that interest me as much these days. It's not in anyway because of the 3 major studios that corner the market, rather there isn't much variety. Not all of them have to be appealing to adults and kids alike but when they are, they're way more interesting. I'm starting to appreciate the more off the beaten path type of animated films and go for those that are more fun and surprising. That's exactly what this film was. It may start off as the typical "child has a dream, parent doesn't understand and wants to hold on to old traditions" trope we've all seen a dozen times, but the film quickly energizes that trope with something more fun and zanny that keeps you awake the entire step of the way. The sci fi, robot takeover story can get bleak and terrifying, but it doesn't mean you can't have a fun adventure of a lifetime within it. That's what I loved about this film and how strong the family aspect was at its emotional core.

Abbi Jacobson was fantastic as Katie Mitchell. I loved her energy, creative mind and she was so relatable as a teen with active imagination and style. Mike Rianda was hilarious and fun as her brother Aaron. His love for dinosaurs was cute and pays off in many creative and loving ways. Danny McBride was excellent as their father Rick as he tries his best bring the family together even as it starts to grow apart. Maya Rudolph was outstanding as the mother Linda and she may be the loving and understanding one, but she gets unleashed in an insane action scene. The heart of the story is really about the attempts Rick makes to reconnect with Katie even though he never really understood her. Its that emotional tug of war between trying too hard to hang on to the past and letting your child's life grow that made me the most invested in the characters. Fred Armisen and Beck Bennett were awesome and hilarious as the damaged and ally robots Deborahbot 5000 and Eric. Their slapstick and visual humor really plays so well. Eric André was good as the tone deaf creator of the PAL and PAL Labs, Dr. Mark Bowman. Olivia Colman was perfect as his virtual assistant PAL. Even though she becomes insanely ruthless and devilish in her tactics to take over the world, you kind of sympathize with her as she was tossed aside in such a heartless way. Now the one character that stole the final act of the film was none other than Monchi played by Doug the Pug. I've never loved a pug so much and its his eyes that did it for me.

The score by Mark Mothersbaugh was perfectly epic, mythic and fun in all the right ways. The score tugs at your heart strings in so many unexpected ways in the beginning and that carries on throughout. The animation style is in the same vein as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, but man is it even more amped than that. The amount of craftsman shift in all the different mixtures of animation styles was truly breathtaking and awesome to witness. My favorite scene had to be the mall battle and it solidified why one toy terrified a generation to no end once it was released. This was definitely one of the best animated films I've seen in a long time that took a standard family story and elevated it to something truly emotionally gripping. This was definitely one of the best animated films 2021 that shouldn't be missed or forgotten. The Netflix Original is currently streaming. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!