WesternAnimation Phones bad? Not always. This movie good? Not always.
CONTAINS MARKED SPOILERS
This movie was alright. The concept was good, but there are some things I don't like about the execution.
The story was good overall. The blend of a road trip comedy and a robot apocalypse was very creative. I like how the Mitchells develop and grow closer to each other over the course of the movie. The writing, dialogue, and jokes were also usually good. Monchi is best character.
I also like the dynamic between the Mitchells and the Posers, specifically how the Mitchells think they're quirky and dysfunctional, but they eventually realize that they're really not that different from other families. Even people who seem better than you may think you're better than them in some ways, and I think that's an important lesson for kids, or anyone really, to learn.
The casting is also good overall. However, you may have seen the entry I wrote for Playing Against Type. Eric Andre's character doesn't really get a chance to use Andre's trademark style of comedy. I don't know if that was deliberate Tom Hanks Syndrome or not.
The blend of CGI and 2D animation was... interesting. The 3D animation was very good, but I don't like how the 2D animation was used. It's mainly used to embellish random parts of the movie, and to me that feels like the art form of 2D animation is being trivialized, like an elephant forced to perform in a circusnote . It feels like an afterthought. Maybe the creators need to watch Richard Williams' work to see the full potential of 2D animation?
SPOILERS:
I'm kind of disappointed by the movie's use of Furbies as killer robots. While I do agree that they can be creepy, I think the concept of evil ones has already been done to death on the internet (and in fiction with Faux Furby.) The original concept was to use a Bland-Name Product of Tickle Me Elmos, and I think that would have been a lot more original and interesting.
I also think the Big Bad's death was executed poorly. The idea of PAL dying by falling into a glass of water was funny enough on its own. While I like monkey memes as much as anyone else, I think Katie's interruption totally killed the comedic timing in that scene.
Overall, I'd say this movie is So Okay, It's Average. It had some great moments, but I don't think I would call it a "favorite." If you liked it, though, that's totally fine. That's what reviews are for!
WesternAnimation This movie really captures my queer zoomer vibes
I get why some people might be disappointed in this film. The plot has some cliches and the apocalypse angle is underwhelming, as is the specific technology explored in this film (since it's not really explored as much as I wish it were). If you're coming for cool science fiction stuff, this isn't really the best place to find it. The climax also drags a bit and culminates in a very underwhelming fashion, though I found it amusing enough, especially since the villain was the weakest part of the movie so I wasn't set up to be impressed anyway.
But I can overlook this because this movie feels really authentic from a character standpoint. The Mitchell family and their relationships with one another are very real, even if they're also pretty "tropey." I liked watching them interact, especially small scenes when they just exchange banter.
And Katie, oh my god I love Katie so much. Lord and Millernote love their quirky loner protagonists and Katie's the realest one out there. Her trying to find herself through her art, the animation that emphasizes how important her art is in contextualizing her world, her complex but loving family relationships... I loved her! It was so relaxing to see a quirky girl onscreen who isn't just a Manic Pixie Dream Girl! Especially a gay one, as she's the most realistic queer Gen Z character I've ever seen onscreen.
Also I really enjoyed the comedy, as is typical for Lord/Miller fare. Very snappy, made me actually laugh because it caught me off guard so much. Some people may find it cheesy but I find it very charming. And yeah, they reference very old memes, but they do it in a way that feels accurate to how people remember those memes today. Plus they captured the vibe of surrealist modern memes fairly well.
And of course, the animation is great! Very stylized and expressive, which I always appreciate in CGI.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I wish there was more to the plot, but I'd love to see more of these characters and this visual style. 8/10