For modern technology, taking over the world is no problem.
Conquering the Mitchells, though?
That's more of a challenge.
The new, hilarious animated comedy film The Mitchells vs. The Machines follows the dysfunctional
Mitchell quartet as they grapple with both the machine apocalypse as well as their own,
smaller family crisis.
While the tech-savvy, film school-bound Katie can't wait to leave the nest, her nature-loving
dad, Rick, isn't quite ready to let go.
So, Rick decides to turn Katie's voyage to college into a full-fledged family road trip.
However, during a detour to a schlocky dinosaur-themed roadside attraction, the machines rise up.
Pretty soon, the Mitchells are the only humans that haven't been captured by the nefarious
Pal machines, and end up as the world's unlikely last hope.
"I wish there was like footage of us walking out of the mall in slow motion, and fire behind
us, like heroes."
"Katie, that would be a waste of time and absolutely unnecessary."
The Mitchells' efforts to take down the destructive computers are the key to saving both mankind
and their family.
Along the way, there are also a ton of Easter eggs and other small details stuffed into
the story.
Here's a look at some of the finer details that you might've missed in The Mitchells
vs. The Machines.
When we first meet Katie, we learn a lot about what drives her.
While her father is an avid outdoorsman, her mother Linda is a school teacher with good
vibes to spare, and her little brother Aaron is obsessed with dinosaurs, Katie loves movies.
She loves watching movies, she loves making movies, and she is absolutely thrilled that
she's going to get to study movies at the college of her choice.
As such, Katie's room is a tribute to her cinematic interests, filled with posters aplenty,
some of which are fake, and some of which are not.
One real film poster hanging on Katie's wall is for Isle of the Snake People, a 1971 Spanish-language
horror film that is rather obscure, proving Katie's commitment to finding diamonds in
the rough.
Meanwhile, Katie's own mini-movies, most of which star her brother Aaron, her dog Monchi,
or her homemade sock puppets, are inspired by real-life classics.
Judging from Katie's stack of homemade DVDs, she borrowed from cult favorite Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas, Y Tu Mamá También, kung-fu classic Fist of Fury, and plenty more.
The cinematic nods don't stop with Katie's collection, though.
The filmmakers behind the movie also use The Mitchells vs. The Machines to pay tribute
to other classic films.
"Oh my gosh, this is like Dawn of the Dead."
"Yeah, and how'd that movie end?"
The movie that gets the most mentions throughout The Mitchells vs. The Machines, however, is
a film called Roboslayers 4, which is a fictional cult classic that Katie simply cannot get
enough of.
"You guys like Roboslayers 4?
Nobody around here had even heard of that."
"Why not?
It's amazing."
While we don't know a lot about Roboslayers 4, part of its marketing tagline is "the brain
exploders."
We can also guess from the title that the movie is probably about, well, robot slayers.
And, as The Mitchells vs. The Machines reaches its climax, it appears that Katie's family
is pretty much living out Roboslayers' sequel - they, too, must learn how to slay some robots.
What's more, the film's most brilliant and effective robot-fighting technique is to temporarily
melt the robots' brains with the power of the Mitchell's confusing dog.
"What?
Is that a dog, or...dog, pig, dog, pig, dog, pig, loaf of bread.
System error."
A lot of the action in The Mitchells vs. The Machines is made possible by the fact that
the family's car is a very humble little ride without a modern chip that can be hacked by
the Pal system.
"Is that a burnt orange 1993 station wagon?
Or is it..."
Upon closer inspection, we can see that it is the epitome of a sturdy, sensible vehicle
-- as in, its make is Sturdy, and the model is literally called Sensible.
Now, this car has clearly been a staple of the Mitchells' lives for quite some time,
as its bumper bears numerous stickers that have been collected over the years.
It's clear from these emblems that the vehicle belongs to both mom and dad, as nature-themed
stickers compete for attention with peppy "Enjoy the Little Things" decorations.
But, in the end, the fact that this vehicle is so outmoded and well-worn proves to be
a major boon for the Mitchells, since the outdated tech allows the family to avoid detection
by the corrupted computers running around.
Who says a practical car doesn't have its perks?
"This is illegal."
"It's not illegal if you're good at it."
One small detail in The Mitchells vs. The Machines that might not immediately catch
your eye is how the ladies of the movie wear their obsessions with modern technology on
their sleeves -- or, more specifically, their ears.
Yep, not only are Linda and Katie guilty of regularly breaking Rick's "no screens allowed
at the dinner table" rule...
"After a long day of work, nice to see your faces… bathed in ghoulish blue light."
...but their jewelry choices specifically reflect their fascination with all-things
digital.
Katie, for example, wears a pair of lightning earrings.
While that might just seem like one of those idiosyncrasies that reflects her one-of-a-kind
personality, that particular symbol looks a lot like the charging symbol on modern phones
-- which may also be a nod to the fact that she always has a device running.
Meanwhile, Linda's earrings are in the shape of hearts.
Considering her obsession with creating the perfect family photo and the neighbors' Palgram
feed, Linda's choice of jewelry might be a wink to her all-consuming desire to get some
"likes" on social media.
"Maybe I can… enhance."
If you look closely enough, you might spot a few familiar names scattered throughout
The Mitchells vs. The Machines' set dressing.
Most prominently, when the Mitchells first visit the roadside dinosaur exhibit, we can
see a group of personalized license plates for sale in the gift shop.
Two names in particular stand out from the rest.
Included in the list of nameplates are "Jeff" and "Mike," which just so happen to be the
first names of the film's writers and co-directors, Jeff Rowe and Michael Rianda.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines is a pretty personal story for both filmmakers, who based
aspects of the film and its characters on their own lives and families, so it's likely
not a coincidence that their names made it into the scenery as a nod to the fellas that
made this story happen in the first place.
Thanks for watching.
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