THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES
From producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), this quirky, stupendous animated family film is a fun ride the whole way through. And when a high-class voice cast consisting of Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Abbi Jacobson, Fred Armisen, and Olivia Colman are involved, there’s the utmost confidence that these colorful characters they bring to life are in very good hands. The father-daughter relationship is what drives this family road trip that takes a real turn when a robot apocalypse erupts. The dysfunctional yet dynamic Mitchell family abruptly become the unlikeliest heroes to save the day.
Its message of the importance of family and their support and enclasping individuality is sweetly told while coincidently poking fun at our complicated relationship with technology. The animation alone is a sight to see and fits perfectly with the zany energy that’s bursting out of the story written and directed by Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe. They make it effortless in falling for this family that’s a lot like our own. You don’t pick’em, but you can’t help but love’em – especially when ultra hazardous machines want to get rid of all of you!
**Starts streaming Friday, April 30th**
STOWAWAY
A three person crew heads to Mars on a two year mission, but everything is jeopardized when a man who shouldn’t be there is found on their spaceship. They find themselves in an unimaginable scenario, facing a grave moral dilemma. Before I continue, please know this is not some scary sci-fi thriller, but rather a space survival drama that relies solely on the interactions of its characters. Director/writer Joe Penna (Arctic) leaves the heavy-lifting for his solid cast comprising of Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette, and it’s nothing they can’t handle. But putting the acting aside, there’s nothing really here that stands out as it’s bogged down by sci-fi tropes and pacing problems. It’s predominantly too slow, yet when things finally get intense – it’s a little too hurried. Penna and co-writer Ryan Morrison’s narrative is engrossing early on but needs more because the empathy we should be feeling simply isn’t there.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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