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Movie · Comedy, Sci-fi, Action, Animated · 2021 · PG

The Mitchells vs. the Machines: parents' guide

7+our pick

Best for ages 7 and up. Rated PG for action and some language.

A loud, very funny animated road-trip comedy for families with kids around 7 and up, about a squabbling family who become humanity's last hope when an AI phone assistant turns the world's robots against people. Action is constant but mostly slapstick: robots capture people in pods, the mom smashes robots in a fight played for laughs, and a main character briefly appears to be dead. An attack by giant evil Furby toys is the creepiest stretch. Language stays mild, and a quick flashback shows the family running naked with household objects covering them. The frantic peril is why we suggest 7.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Humans and robots battle with lasers, explosions and crashes. The mom wrecks robots in a comic rampage, tearing off heads as oil splatters like blood, robots are impaled on poles, and Katie is dropped from a tower and caught.

Language

Mild

No curse words. One "God" as an exclamation and an unfinished "what the," plus dang it, gosh, heck, butt, jerk, idiot and knucklehead.

Sex and nudity

Mild

A flashback shows the family dashing across a yard naked, with household objects hiding everything. The parents are affectionate, and a closing scene shows Katie dating the girl she has been crushing on.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

None. No alcohol, smoking or drug content appears.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Robots hunt and snatch people across an emptied, burning city, and a mall sequence with giant, glowing-eyed Furby toys can unsettle younger kids. A main character seems to be dead for a moment, and family fights get heated.

Worth talking about

Katie and her dad each believe the other doesn't get them. What could each of them have done to listen better before the trip?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the MPA, childrenandmedia.org.au. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.