Mars Needs Moms (Walt Disney Pictures)
We Dont Need This Movie
The process that was used in the animation of The Polar Express and the recent version of A Christmas Carol is called live motion animation. In this process the actors are photographed going through the motions of the scenes but then there is a layer of animation that is imposed over them. The result is a blend of live action and animation that looks creepy when seen on the big screen. Nevertheless it is the process used to bring Mars Needs Moms to life.
This is a movie that is aimed at kids, but just take a moment and think about the theme of the film. Earth moms are captured by Martians who take them to their planet to have good mothering information taken from their brains. Once the information has been taken then the mothers are pulverized. Yeah, sweet bedtime story that one is!
That is what happens in this movie. Milo (Seth Green) is a nine year old boy who has a Mom (Joan Cusack) who loves him dearly. She does everything she can to make him behave but he gives her some grief for it. One night he sees her being abducted by aliens. Hoping to rescue her, he stows aboard the spaceship and ends up on Mars.
There he meets Gribble (Dan Fogler), a human who lives on Mars. Milo relies on him to come up with a plan to rescue his Mom but they have an uphill battle. They only have a short time before Milos mom will be pulverized.
All of this should be action packed and exciting but somehow it isnt. Maybe it is the ominous tone of the script, or maybe it is the creepiness of the human animation angle. In any event the audience is never drawn into the story and just wants it to end.
The film is rated PG for mild violence and adult themes.
The character of Milo looks like Seth Green but doesnt sound like him. That is because Milos voice is provided by a real child named Seth Dusky. Fogler provides the face and the look for Gribble and that is a minus too. Fogler comes off annoying rather than appealing and that is not what this movie needs. Gribble needs to be a loveable and likeable character.
There are very few warm, fuzzy moments in this film. It is alienating and non-involving. Parents might want to sit this one out as far as the kids are concerned. As far as I am concerned this is strike two (remember Rango) for kids movies these days.
I scored Mars Needs Moms an alienating 4 out of 10.
