The pandemic has exposed many holes in the foundations of Hollywood studios. Film division Sony was no exception. While other competitors joined the “streaming war” (with varying degrees of success), the studio found itself in an awkward situation
In the mid-2010s, the company almost ordered a long life thanks to “effective” management Amy Pascal… Trying to turn Playstation network to the streaming platform was also unsuccessful.
In a pandemic, Sony had to start literally selling off its projects, having concluded two major deals with sites Disney + and Netflix… The rights to the cartoon departed last. “In touch“, which received a new name -“Mitchells vs. machines“(The Mitchells vs. the Machines).
“Mitchells vs. Machines” – a new project, which was curated by the producers Phil Lord and Christopher Millerresponsible for “Lego Movie“,”Spider-Man: Through the Universes “, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs“and so on. And their influence on the tape is indisputable, although the director was the debutant Michael Riandawho previously worked on scripts for “Gravity Falls“.
The cartoon borrows a lot visually from the above tapes. It is about combining low-detail 3D objects and 2D elements, highly mobile and deliberately caricatured animation, and bright colors. At the same time, this allowed us to seriously save on production, without sliding into the primitivism of the studio level. Illumination…
The story revolves around the Mitchell family living in Michigan. Aspiring director Katie prepares to go to California film school to escape endless conflicts with the old-fashioned head of the family Rick, who is focused on survival in the wild and does not share his daughter’s hobbies.
Hoping to improve the relationship, the father decides to take his daughter to California by car. They were accompanied by a hyper-positive mother Linda (strongly resembles Linda from “Bob’s Diner“)jealous of her more successful neighbors, a dinosaur-turned son Aaron and a cross-eyed dog Monchy…
However, during the trip, the family’s plans change dramatically. The world is being taken over by rebellious robotic smartphones from the company PAL Labs (analogue Apple), who intend to expel all of humanity into outer space. And only the Mitchells are able to stop the disaster, for which they need to get to Silicon Valley. Yes, the basis of “Mitchells” is a road movie about family values, here Sony did not reinvent the wheel.
Family tensions remain the focus of attention. The heroes constantly quarrel, reconcile, and lie to each other. The apocalypse is becoming a kind of analogue of family therapy. In some places, the Mitchells even echo the game released this year. It Takes Two… Again, the topic of self-sacrifice is raised, which does not always benefit the family, starting to give out with selfishness.
All events of the cartoon are presented in the format of Katy’s video diary, which she will publish later. The creators are not afraid to experiment by mixing low-quality animation with Youtube, memes, references to other films, and so on. Numerous 2D elements look very organic given the chosen format.
The authors are constantly trying to surprise the audience, bringing some scenes to the point of absurdity. The craziest moment happens when the heroes visit the mall from “Dawn of the Dead” George romero… Crazed Toy Army Furby is the main decoration of the “Mitchells”, making you remember about the movie “Gremlins“.
The result is a bright potpourri that is able to entertain throughout the entire timekeeping. At the same time, the tape should be suitable for family viewing, because everyone can find something suitable for themselves.
Despite all its problems, Sony still managed to carve out a niche in the animated cartoons genre. And it’s a shame that Mitchells Against the Machines didn’t appear in the cinema. On the other hand, it’s a must-watch for the whole family on Netflix.
8/10
The cartoon “Mitchells Vs. Machines” is available exclusively to subscribers of the streaming service Netflix.
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