Interview: Chatting About ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ with Director Mike Rianda

When you watch The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Mike Rianda‘s work is at the forefront. The co-writer and director of the film also provides one of the main voices within, so his fingerprints are all over this animated gem. As such, it seems like talking to Rianda would be an utter delight to speak with. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s 100% an accurate statement. He’s an absolute joy, funny and smart, but also clearly so passionate about his movie. With the film in contention for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, we recently found time to connect and talk about the love that exists for the flick. Not only are you about to hear our conversation, there’s an added bonus you’ll find out about in just a bit.

This is some of what I said about The Mitchells vs. the Machines in my review:

The Mitchells vs. the Machines may look like something that’s strictly for kids, but there’s more here than meets the eye. Sure, the visuals are bright and snappy, appealing to the youngest viewers, but the quirk of it all, not to mention the heart, will please older folks too. Good animated movies have something for everyone, and this is certainly the case here with this one.

Without question, the writing and directing is where The Mitchells vs. the Machines gets to shine. Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe sure make this an energetic production. To be sure, they’re channeling producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, giving it the Lord and Miller spark. While it’s not the masterpiece that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is, there’s still so much creativity on display. The plot beats are fairly easy to guess ahead of time, but the sprinkled in bits of weirdness and oddball humor really do elevate this one. In particular, the dog, as well as Katie’s experimental movies, stand out.

Below, you can hear my chat with Rianda. It’s part one of two as well, since right after this recording, he joined Myles Hughes and I do a segment of the upcoming Awards Radar Podcast episode. Look for that tomorrow, but today, Rianda and I are talking about The Mitchells vs. the Machines. I think we have a lot of fun. Give it a listen, and of course, if you somehow haven’t seen this movie, it’s available on Netflix. It’s so much fun, just like our discussion…

Here now is my interview with The Mitchells vs. the Machines filmmaker Mike Rianda. Enjoy:

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is currently streaming on Netflix and up for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards!