The Mitchells vs. the Machines

When the Incredibles saved the world, at least they had the benefit of superpowers. But in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, the titular family combats a robot apocalypse with little more than hand tools and dumb luck.

This quirky animated adventure falls into a common trap with its hyperactive visuals, yet beneath the chaotic surface is an amusing and poignant tale of family bonding in the social-media age.

The story is told from the perspective of Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a teenage YouTube filmmaker who’s eager to start college in part because she’ll be freed from her overbearing family, including dismissive father Rick (Danny McBride), who isn’t exactly tech-savvy. “My parents haven’t quite figured me out yet,” she laments.

Seizing a final opportunity to make things right with his daughter, Rick insists on delivering her to campus with a family road trip in his beat-up station wagon. Plenty of awkwardness ensues, which is nothing compared to their encounter with murderous robots who were created by an enterprising young tech guru (Eric Andre) before a vengeful villainess trapped in the cloud (Olivia Colman) turns them rogue.

Suddenly, the Mitchells find themselves as humanity’s only hope to deprogram their nemeses, coming face-to-face with an army of killer toasters and a batch of tough-talking Furby dolls. Success will depend on unprecedented resourcefulness and teamwork.

Lampooning the extremes of a world where smart technology has infiltrated every facet of our lives, the screenplay generates some big laughs from its clever array of sight gags and one-liners.

The crisply detailed animation includes exaggerated character and object angulations. However, rookie director Michael Bianda too eagerly cater to youngsters with short-attention spans and smartphone addictions by trying to cram every frame with as much colorful mayhem as possible. The bots are never very well defined, and the frenetic action sequences take on a videogame mentality.

Although the film struggles to bring all of its ambitious ideas together — tackling tech overreach, human connectivity, and father-daughter reconciliation — it eventually settles down into a coming-of-age saga about a nerdy outsider seeking acceptance.

This average family might be relatable, but more importantly, the Mitchells manage to garner sympathy — and not only because the future of humankind is in the balance. Paying tribute to childhood memories and artistic expression, the film’s rare quiet and more intimate moments are where good truly triumphs over evil.

Rated PG, 113 minutes.