Sean Parker
I have been excited for The Mitchells vs The Machines since the first teaser hit at the start of the pandemic lockdown last year. Originally known as Connected and slated for distribution to cinemas by Sony Pictures last October, this would have been an easy choice for me to take my young niece to. It looks exciting and funny enough to appeal to her pre-teen sensibilities while I won’t have to hear some variation of “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” or “Let It Go” from my backseat or subconscious on the ride home from the theater.
The Mitchells vs The Machines is about a screen-addicted family whose anti-technology, nature-loving patriarch Rick (Danny McBride) longs for one last chance at a connection with his teenage daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson) before she goes off to college. Canceling Katie’s plane ticket and packing up the family station wagon, Rick gathers the family for a cross-country road trip to bring Katie to film school, but a robot uprising takes place on their way and now it’s up to the Mitchells to rescue humanity.
Written and directed by Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe who were both writers on Disney’s exceptionally underrated Gravity Falls TV series, The Mitchells vs The Machines reminds me of old-school sci-fi adventures where the ethical value of technology is tested and I’m willing to bet it will feature a plethora of robot references from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Terminator; the film’s helper bots even look very I, Robot meets Star Wars Battle Droid. It even looks like there may be an embedded Chopping Mall reference included in the Furby scene too.
If you add in the absolute knockout cast of comedic talent from Eric André, Olivia Coleman, Maya Rudolph, Jay Pharoh, Conan O’Brian, Charlene Yi, Fred Armisen, as well as many notable cameos listed by John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and Blake Griffin, I think we’re primed for a fantastic family surprise but that Doug the Pug is going to outshine them all. The Mitchells Vs. The Machines looks like a lot of fun for a wide range of audiences to enjoy and though it’s only hitting the couches instead of the cinemas I’m still looking forward to having my niece visit our vaccinated home for our first movie night in over a year.
The Mitchells vs The Machines hits Netflix on April 30.
So what do you think of the trailer for The Mitchells vs. The Machines? Do you agree with Sean that it looks enjoyable for both kids and adults? Did you notice any robot references you’d like to point out? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re looking for horror trailers we’ve got you covered!
