Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have outdone Pixar with their latest project for Netflix, The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The film follows a dysfunctional family whose road trip goes awry when the world's technology suddenly turns on humanity. With its unique story and innovative use of animation, The Mitchells vs. the Machines might even outdo Pixar's recent efforts.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is the latest film from prolific producers Lord and Miller. The duo strictly served as producers on the film, handing the reins to Mike Rianda in his directorial debut. Rianda's film has been met with critical acclaim, with particular praise directed to The Mitchells vs the Machines' impressive cast, distinct style, and bold themes. In exploring contemporary relationships between humans and their devices, it employs several different animation styles, something even Pixar has generally shied away from with their films.
Pixar's legendary list of films serves as a natural foil for The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Like Soul, Inside Out, or Coco, The Mitchells vs. the Machines establishes a personal conflict as a microcosm for a larger issue or theme. Unlike those films, however, The Mitchells vs. the Machines tells an original story that privileges its characters first and foremost. Pixar's films continue to unpack difficult topics for children and their families, but they often do so by literalizing their concepts. Both approaches have value, but The Mitchells vs. the Machines feels like a breath of fresh air in the current animated landscape.
Unsurprisingly, Pixar remains the gold standard for animation. There is no denying the Disney-owned studio's contributions to the medium from both a technological and narrative standpoint. Pixar has crafted some of the most gorgeously animated films of all time, and has another one on the way in the controversy due to its Disney+ release model. Still, Pixar's style of animation has remained rather limited. The studio ventured into new territory with Soul, combining its traditional approach to animation with elements of 2D animation. Outside of Soul, however, Pixar has stuck to its singular formula. Luca seems to have necessitated some further animation innovations, but the Pixar style will likely never evolve too much beyond its tried and true formula.
The Mitchells vs. the Machine stands as a polar opposite to this Pixar mentality. The film refuses any one approach to animation, instead welcoming several. Its design is reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, merging the depth of contemporary computer animation with the texture of hand-drawn animation. Into the Spiderverse adopted its animation so as to mimic its comic book counterparts, but The Mitchells vs. the Machines is more interested in pushing the animation medium as far as it can go. It leans into its own eccentricities in order to fully flesh out its world and its story. Of course, Rianda and his team seem to have taken some inspiration from Pixar in its worldbuilding as well. Pixar rarely feels the need to explore different styles, as its approach has obviously garnered plenty of success. But producers Lord and Miller have found their own formulaic success as well, and yet they continue to deliver fresh and innovative animated films. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is just the latest example.
