Mars Needs Moms (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Mars Needs Moms' (directed by Simon Wells), a motion-capture animated film based on a popular book, is about a 9 yr. old boy named Milo (performed by Seth Green, yet voiced by Seth Dusky) who tells his mom (Joan Cusack) that he wishes she wasn't around - then watches in pure horror as Martians take her away in their space jet later that night. So now, you may ask: why do these Martians need the moms? They need them because their planet has been overtaken by a dystopian matriarchy (led by a very funny villainess) that's forgotten how to parent.
The film chronicles Milo's quest in saving his mom (after having stowed away on the same Martian craft that took his mom). On Mars, Milo meets a grown-up lost boy named Gribble (Dan Fogler) who's been on the planet since the 1980's after losing his own mom to the cruel process that allows Martians to suck the motherly brains from their captives. With Gribble's tech-savvy ways & additional help from a rebel Martian girl named Ki, Milo hopes to get his mom back; and gain a deeper appreciation for his mom than he ever would have prior.
Right from the get-go, I liked the tone of this movie. I'll watch Joan Cusack in anything (even though she's in motion-capture). I liked the repartee btwn. the Milo characters & his mom - "Take out the trash", "Eat your broccoli", etc.. It felt real. I know how kids that age can be. Then ... after the mom is taken by the Martian ship, I felt for Milo; because sometimes kids say things they don't mean. i.e., "Mom, who needs you anyway?" (type response). Now, I wasn't wild about everything that happened once the characters converge on Mars. In other words, my attention sputtered & waned. But, there's a fun element of adventure. And in the last 15 minutes, there's something really rootable & exhilarating about a boy desperately trying to save his mother from the bad guys.
Visually, 'Mars Needs Moms' is stellar. There are components of the story & the Martian characters that remind me of Avatar (the planet's look, the aliens, the vibrant color schemes). While I'm not wild about the motion-capture technique, it didn't bug me as much, here. And on the technical front, I absolutely adored John Powell's majestic musical score. In fact, it's one of the 1st things I noticed about this film while watching it. And after loving his score to last year's How To Train Your Dragon (I actually would have given it an Oscar win) ... I shouldn't have been surprised to find out it was Powell's rousing work.
You know, 'Mars Needs Moms' is a minor work. There's nothing truly special or stand-out about it. The premise could be scary for younger children viewers. I found the earthbound scenes to be more charming than anything on Mars. Some action sequences come & go without effect. And at 81 min. (which could be a blessing or a curse, based on your opinion of the film), the narrative kind of whizzes by. I wanted a little downtime (for the characters to live & breathe a bit more). But at the same time, I was thankful for the brisk, light tone. So, something about the balance was off for me.
But all of that is nitpicking. 'Mars Needs Moms' is a cute, solid family film; one that moms, kids, & other family members should appreciate. Shame that it's getting negative reviews & making little $$ at the box office. Given other insignificant animated films of late, I think this one deserves better.
The film chronicles Milo's quest in saving his mom (after having stowed away on the same Martian craft that took his mom). On Mars, Milo meets a grown-up lost boy named Gribble (Dan Fogler) who's been on the planet since the 1980's after losing his own mom to the cruel process that allows Martians to suck the motherly brains from their captives. With Gribble's tech-savvy ways & additional help from a rebel Martian girl named Ki, Milo hopes to get his mom back; and gain a deeper appreciation for his mom than he ever would have prior.
Right from the get-go, I liked the tone of this movie. I'll watch Joan Cusack in anything (even though she's in motion-capture). I liked the repartee btwn. the Milo characters & his mom - "Take out the trash", "Eat your broccoli", etc.. It felt real. I know how kids that age can be. Then ... after the mom is taken by the Martian ship, I felt for Milo; because sometimes kids say things they don't mean. i.e., "Mom, who needs you anyway?" (type response). Now, I wasn't wild about everything that happened once the characters converge on Mars. In other words, my attention sputtered & waned. But, there's a fun element of adventure. And in the last 15 minutes, there's something really rootable & exhilarating about a boy desperately trying to save his mother from the bad guys.
Visually, 'Mars Needs Moms' is stellar. There are components of the story & the Martian characters that remind me of Avatar (the planet's look, the aliens, the vibrant color schemes). While I'm not wild about the motion-capture technique, it didn't bug me as much, here. And on the technical front, I absolutely adored John Powell's majestic musical score. In fact, it's one of the 1st things I noticed about this film while watching it. And after loving his score to last year's How To Train Your Dragon (I actually would have given it an Oscar win) ... I shouldn't have been surprised to find out it was Powell's rousing work.
You know, 'Mars Needs Moms' is a minor work. There's nothing truly special or stand-out about it. The premise could be scary for younger children viewers. I found the earthbound scenes to be more charming than anything on Mars. Some action sequences come & go without effect. And at 81 min. (which could be a blessing or a curse, based on your opinion of the film), the narrative kind of whizzes by. I wanted a little downtime (for the characters to live & breathe a bit more). But at the same time, I was thankful for the brisk, light tone. So, something about the balance was off for me.
But all of that is nitpicking. 'Mars Needs Moms' is a cute, solid family film; one that moms, kids, & other family members should appreciate. Shame that it's getting negative reviews & making little $$ at the box office. Given other insignificant animated films of late, I think this one deserves better.