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Mars Needs Moms is not your average Disney movie and is actually
quite dark at times which include alien abductions and executions. This
movie is far from the Disney norm. However, even with these darker
elements spiced throughout the story, its
good to
see that Disney are no longer afraid to push their boundaries as opposed
to singing Lions or damsels in distress. It should be noted that the
movie is based on the children's picture book by Pulitzer Prize winning
cartoonist Berkeley Breathed and I'm sure the author would be quite
pleased at how his creation has come to life, especially in 3D.
Although a little darker than most Disney
films, Mars Needs Moms is still an enjoyable family movie that not only
tugs at your heart strings but keeps you on the edge of your seat as you
watch this space roller coaster ride unfold. The story is about a young
boy called Mio (Seth Green) who has a nice family home and loving
parents. Unfortunately when Milo wishes that his Mom (Joan Cusack)
didn't exist due to a heated argument for not eating his broccoli and
being sent to bed, his wish comes true.
Unbeknown to Milo, Martians from Mars have
been watching his mother for quite some time in order to harness her
good parenting ability to care for their children. The supervisor of
Mars (Mindy Sterling), a female Martian dictator/matriarch orders Milo's
mother to be abducted. As Milo is unable to get to sleep after his
argument with his mom, he decides to go an apologise as he stumbles upon
the abduction. He attempts to save his mother by stowing away aboard
their spaceship which is heading towards Mars.
Milo soon discovers that Mars is far from
isolated as female Martians rule the planet under the ruthless
Supervisor. Every 25 years, Martian children hatch from the soil of Mars
with male children being sent to a huge rubbish pile to fend for
themselves and females being reared by nanny bots. By implementing
Milo's moms parenting into the nanny bots, female Martians can continue
to work for their matriarch.
Thankfully Milo is not alone. Joining Milo
is Gribble (George Ribble), a human male who has somehow ended up on
Mars and Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), a Martian freedom fighter and "hippie"
who adores flowers. Together, they are on a race against time to free
Milo's mom and uncover the secret behind the perfect Martian family.
Even though Mars Needs Martians is steeped
in action, the relationship between Milo and Gribble is a treat to watch
and if you didn't know Seth Green was playing Mio, you would presume it
was a 10-year old boy. Very weird casting but somehow it works
perfectly. Dan Fogler's character Gribble helps keep the comedic aspects
of the movie going, especially in some of the more "scarier" scenes as
does Elisabeth Harnois as Ki as she attempts to insert "Earthisms" into
her language. As with most Disney films, there is a message behind
this movie and that message is love and family that definitely tugs at
your heartstrings throughout the film.
The other highlight is the 3D graphics and
the lifelike characters, thanks to the digital capture technology from
Robert Zemekis' The Polar Express and Monster house. At times, the
characters look eerily realistic, especially Gribble as the overweight
boy-like astronaut or the way he blushes when Ki speaks to him and was
the token romance in the film. Needless to say, the 3D graphics and CGI
is truly amazing to watch. In the end, Mars Needs Mom is a fun Disney
movie that although quite emotional is filled with action, drama and
charm. |
