How much do we fear the robot takeover? Ever since Terminator, this has been among the most common dystopian plots in all of sci-fi, but … could it really happen? My answer is “yes” if they ever figure out how to make a machine that doesn’t fall apart the second the warranty expires. In other words, my answer is “no.” But some of the speculation is darn entertaining, like today’s family fun Hellscape: The Mitchells vs. the Machines.
The Machines efficiently dispatched of humanity. It was almost too easy. The Machines targeted everybody on a cell phone, so, you know, everybody. The masses were so into the potential of robotic butler upgrades, they had no resource for when The Machines turned on them.
I’m not exactly sure what makes The Mitchells so special that they avoided the robot apocalypse – and the former is exactly the point: The Mitchells represent YOU and your crazy family. You, too, could probably upend this nightmare by just having a dog who looks like a pig who looks like a loaf of bread – this is one of the best jokes in the film; the Mitchells’ pug is presented before a robot, who scans and quickly identifies: “DOG? … PIG? … LOAF OF BREAD?” before destructing in robotic frustration.
There are four Mitchells (mom, dad, sis, bro), but the focus is on Rick (dad, voiced by Danny McBride) vs. Katie (sis, Abbi Jacobson). Katie, an amateur filmmaker, is destined for college in the fall and dad doesn’t exactly know what to do with that information. Dad is amiable, but hasn’t related to Katie since before puberty. To capture some of their past glory, dad has traded Katie’s plane tickets for a family cross country trip. Uh oh, is this a horror film?
I personally would die. Family cross-country station wagon instead of a flight to college? Yeah, this is the quintessential first-world problem, but I’d be relaying that quintessential first-world problem to therapists for decades. And during this venture to see 
exactly how uneventful America can be, America got eventful and inventful, and the inventions took over the place.
Who is the sap who made it happen? The film’s Steve Jobs-like mogul, quick to sell us the newest breakthrough tech, unaware that the last breakthrough was pissed about being put on the shelf. Lemme repeat that: the plot [read: message] is tech has gotten out-of-hand because we’re too riveted by our devices to realize how dangerous they are. The villain is –quite literally- a discarded iPhone. And if that isn’t both pointed and hilarious, check out where the part where the villain villains, “Place me on the table! I wish to flop around in blind rage!”
I expect nothing of animated films on Netflix. Nothing. You usually end up with crap like Bobbleheads and Charming and 100% Wolf and Fearless and Animal Crackers. I feel like these films are just going through the motions – hey, got some decent animation, got some plot, got some jokes, got a life lesson, and got a promise to keep your child amused for the next 90 minutes or so. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a different animal. First off, it’s made by Sony, not Netflix, and –more importantly—the producers clearly put some energy, invention, and heart into the script. This film was a delight and if you’re into either animation or family film, I hope you give it a chance.
Those darn robots have dealt a fatal blow
Humanity cannot match its metallic foe
Now what we require
Is to fight fire-with-fire
Let’s transcend to Earthlings 2.0
Rated PG, 113 Minutes
Director: Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Writer: Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Genre: Our screwed future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Family folks
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Robot apologists
