Seth Green voices Milo in "Mars Needs Moms"

Adapted Screenplay Falls Short

Produced by Robert Zemeckis (“Polar Express”), “Mars Needs Moms” is based on the children’s picture book written by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (Bloom Country). The story is a simple one that packs a powerful message. Unfortunately, the simplicity of the story line is lost in its expansion into a full-length feature film, perhaps a necessary evil, but disappointing, nonetheless.

Seth Green voices Milo, a young boy who fights with his mother (voiced by Joan Cusak) about typical issues like taking out the trash and eating broccoli. One night, after saying some particularly hurtful things to his mom, Milo witnesses her being taken away by Martians. He manages to stow away on the spaceship, determined to save his mom.

The Martians need a good example of a mom (to extract her disciplinary knowledge) every 25 years or so when the fresh ‘crop’ of Martian babies pop up out of the ground like potatoes. ‘The Supervisor,’ voiced by Mindy Sterling (best known for her role as Frau Farbissina in the “Austin Powers” movies), dictates to the favored females on Mars. Meanwhile, the males are tossed down a chute into a world of trash, living out a life similar to that of abandoned puppies. I found this all to be a bit disturbing, unsure of how children will interpret this casting out of boys.

Once on Mars, Milo meets a thirty-something, ‘80s throwback fugitive, Gribble, voiced by Tony Award winner Dan Fogler (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”). Gribble’s own mom was the last to be seized by the Martians, but Gribble failed to save her. Milo and Gribble enlist the help of a fun-loving Martian, Ki, (voiced by Elisabeth Harnois) in their effort to rescue Milo’s mom. Ki, who learned to speak English by studying a ‘70s sitcom, is the most colorful character in the movie. Living under the repressive rule of The Supervisor, Ki is somewhat of an alien Bansky, if you will, secretly painting expansive graffiti throughout the land.

With a slow beginning, the movie picks up pace once Gribble is introduced, but doesn’t hit it’s stride until Ki enters the picture. Too bad it takes so long for this to happen.

As with “The Polar Express” and “Monster House,” Disney’s “Mars Needs Moms” is filmed with a technique in which the actors’ performances are digitally captured with computerized cameras. This is not a technique I am particularly fond of, and I feel the movie would have been better served with straight up animation. The ‘human’ characters come across a little bit creepy looking, and the Martian babies are unsettling. The facial expressions are also difficult to read. For example, a grimace looks more like a smirk.

The film is probably best suited to elementary school age children, especially those over age 7. There isn’t enough colorful imagery to hold the attention of the younger ones. Mild violence and lasers cause the PG rating, along with lines such as, “When you’re going to shoot a laser at someone, you should bring them a change of underwear.”

Thankfully, in spite of the problems of the movie, the real message of the story still shines through. We witness Milo as he learns the power and depth of a mother’s love. As the scene unfolds, there will be few dry eyes among the moms in the audience. It does an exceptional job of cutting right to the heart and the truth of the matter. Quite honestly, I tear up a little just thinking about it.

Written by: Tyna S. Cline© March 16, 2011