Opening Day: 10 March 2011

Synopsis: Take out the trash, eat your broccoli-who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Produced by the team behind "Disney's A Christmas Carol" and "The Polar Express," "Mars Needs Moms" showcases Milo's quest to save his mom-a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (Mindy Sterling). With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), Milo just might find his way back to his mom-in more ways than one.

Movie Review:

We do not proclaim to be the most knowledgeable lot when it comes to deep stuff like media analyses and cultural subtexts. But hey, we do know a good movie which attempts to explore such themes when we see one. And it excites us whenever filmmakers succeed in finding the balance between entertaining the masses and allowing audiences to think about certain more profound messages.

This computer animated science fiction movie had us revisiting long forgotten textbook topics like communism, and gender differences. What? How can this be possible, considering that this is a Disney approved feature film?

Don’t worry – it’s still family friendly and obligatorily contains wholesome subject matters like family, friendship and notably, motherly love. Why else would the title of this Simon Baker (The Prince of Egypt, Balto) contain the word “Moms”?

As the title already indicates, Mars needs Moms. And that is why nine year old Milo’s Mom has been abducted by Martians. The story follows the boy as he goes on an unexpected adventure on Mars, hoping that Mom’s motherly personality would not be stolen to ensure the survival of those rather hideous Martians (we’ll come to that a while later). Like other self respected animated movies which have the protagonist making new friends along the way. here we have Milo crossing paths with another Earthling who happens to be stuck on the Red Planet, as well as a rebel Martian who is hungry for knowledge about the human world. There’s even a cute robot pooch which spews nuts and bolts.

So where’s the clever messages hidden in this kiddy story? Wait till you see how Mars is ruled by a female Martian (simply called The Supervisor), and how her soldiers march to uniform beats. And we have not even mentioned how the male Martians have been abandoned to a wasteland, where all of them look and behave like prehistoric men. These Martians are not your typically cute aliens. They are in fact, for the lack of a better word, hideous. Without saying too much, we’ll leave you to draw the connection.

Elsewhere, you can expect easy to understand plot developments of how we should be grateful to our mothers’ love for us, and how the family unit is an important element of society. Watch out for a deliberate dramatic scene in the movie’s finale which exemplifies how much Moms would go to protect their children. We are warning you in advance – this sequence may just induce some tears from the more emotional viewers. Also, you’d be enjoying the performance capture technology employed in the movie. Stay for the end credits where you’d see how the human actors’ actions are first recorded, before using that information to animate digital models. Throw in the popular 3D technology (which is aptly used in this production), and you’d get an entertaining ride through Mars’ mystifying lands.

Narrated by Seth Green (TV’s Family Guy) and featuring performances by Seth Robert Dusky (the child actor provides Milo’s voice while Green provides the physical motion), Joan Cusack (Toy Story 3), Dan Fogler (Kung Fu Panda) and Elisabeth Harnois (TV’s One Tree Hill), this movie proves that you don’t need an A list cast to make a good movie.

It is a pity then, that this is the final project produced by Robert Zemeckis’ studio ImageMovers Digital. And to think that we were just beginning to enjoy its films after less than satisfactory productions like The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007) and A Christmas Carol (2010).

With a screenplay based on the book by Berkeley Breathed, this 88 minute ride may not feature the most adorable creatures (we are predicting that toddlers may be a little terrified by how the Martians are animated), but it is one recommended adventure to Mars with Mom… and back.

Movie Rating:



(Fun and intelligent, this is one animated sci fi voyage you won’t want to miss)

Review by John Li