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The Mitchells vs. The Machines on Netflix is a captivating must-see movie for the whole family.
‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines‘, the latest animated movie coming out of Sony Animation and Netflix, is a great movie that everyone in the family from little one to parent will enjoy. Here are just 2 of the movie’s greatest highlights –
The Life Lesson of The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Most all animated movies have a life lesson geared at someone in the audience. Whether it is to ‘just keep swimming’ or ‘it’s never too late to follow your dreams’, the creators of animated movies will always want to drive home a lesson and the catchier the better.
What was so wonderful about The Mitchells vs. The Machines was the fact that the movie’s lesson was even more heart felt and applicable.
“The Mitchell’s have always been weird and that’s what makes us great!”
The focus of The Mitchells vs. The Machines has to be family. While often in animated and children’s movies the family have a few flaws here and there – the Mitchells are chalk full of weaknesses and flaws. Not only do Dad and Katie (the teenager daughter) not get along, the younger son might possibly be bordering on autism with an obsession with dinosaurs, Katie’s parents have separation anxiety, and the pet pug resembles a cross between a pig and a loaf of bread.
The main relationship of the movie is between Katie and her dad. Rick Mitchell [Danny McBride] is a well-meaning and big hearted father and head of the family who is trying to reconnect with his family without the distractions of technology on a road trip to take Katie [Abbi Jacobson] to art school in Los Angeles.
Much like any ordinary teenager, Katie is eager to get out of her family’s home and develop some independence. But in addition to that, she is also a girl who is unknowingly trying to erase her family’s history and memories. Pitting Katie against Rick, the creators of The Mitchells vs. The Machines give the movie its heart and passion.
Is technology the enemy that has come between Katie and her dad? You’ll have to be the judge but I believe that this movie encourages families putting down their phones and enjoying some family time together on a regular basis.
The Adult Humor of The Mitchells vs. The Machines
As part of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, the use of machines to attack the Mitchells family and the rest of the world is hilarious! And the choice of machines will have the parents laughing. There’s everything from iRobot vacuums to vending machines to a big gigantic FURBY!
And for those who have questions about the movie before sitting their kids down to watch it, here are answers to two of the most popular questions –
Is Katie a Lesbian in The Mitchells vs. The Machines?
When I first started watching The Mitchells vs. The Machines, I wondered briefly if Katie was a lesbian. She called herself different, said she never fit in with her schoolmates, wore a pride pin on her jacket, and yet it was never specifically addressed one way or another until the last few minutes of the movie.
Finally at college, we get a brief scene before the credits roll when mom and Katie are FaceTiming. Mom asks Katie if she and another girl are official and whether she’ll be bringing the other girl home for the holidays. Bingo! We have an answer. Katie is a lesbian. Or rather, she could be bi-sexual but she’s definitely the first LGBTQ+ teenage lead in an animated movie.
The way the writers included Katie’s sexuality into the story was impressive. The storyline was not pushed down your throats. There was no big gay rights lesson. Katie’s storyline as a lesbian was a minor subplot. In fact, it is Katie’s relationship with her parents and brother that is central to the movie’s focus.
Is The Mitchells vs. The Machines Kid Friendly?
Yes. The movie makes for a great family movie night for ages 8+.
Language – The movie does not have any four letter words. The worst words used in the movie would be the demeaning terms ‘idiots’ and ‘idiotic’.
Violence/Scary Scenes – There is robotic violence (Mild). The scariest scene is a big battle between The Mitchells and The Machines in a large indoor mall and involves a gigantic Furby.
The most offensive scene is a tasteless joke made by dad that the kids need to be ready to eat their dog (in the case of an apocalypse).
Disclaimer – I was given an opportunity to review The Mitchells vs. The Machines thanks to Grace Hill Media and Netflix. All opinions are my own.
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