Gather your littles for a summer flick that will have everyone laughing along with a very relatable family in Netflix’s “The Mitchells Vs. The Machines.” This new release offers some fresh family fun especially fit for the newest generation, featuring ultra contemporary humor and multiple animation styles while also touching on the realities of modern family life such as screen addictions and father-daughter relationships.
If you’ve ever felt your family is loveable but definitely flawed, you’ll enjoy watching this quirky family of odd-balls living their less than picture-perfect lives in the midst of today’s social media craze. Things start changing for the Mitchells right before main character Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) moves out for college and the family faces a robot apocalypse. With father Rick Mitchell’s (Danny McBride) commitment to rekindle his relationship with his daughter, and with Katie’s desire to save humankind so she can go to college, the two form a sweet partnership within their family.
Every movie has its downfalls, though. Details like having director Michael Rianda voice Katie’s kid brother Aaron Mitchell and the occasional out-of-date meme come across as forced. And while aspects such as our society’s enslavement to our desire for wifi connection serve as fictional elements essential for the plot, these hyperbolized issues can feel overemphasized for some viewers. These may not ruin the movie, but they serve as frequent distractions for older, less entranced audiences.
While the movie revolves around robots, the plot is driven by family dynamics, making it a sentimental movie for all ages. The modern humor and the characters’ complicated relationships with screens will have the whole family intrigued, making it a perfect contender for summer week-night movies.
