Mars Needs Moms! Movie Review

Mars Needs Moms! was definitely a unique and incredibly expensive Disney “family” movie. The idea that martians needs moms, or rather their maternal instinct, was most definitely different. Unfortunately, this movie lacked that special panache of other Disney films.

Cast

Seth Green stars as Milo, the kid in this film. I would make a remark about Seth Green from Family Guy from the Star Wars specials, but I’ll leave it at that. His Mom is played by Joan Cusack. Dan Fogler stars as Gribble, the kid who was trapped on Mars prior to Milo. Kevin Cahoon plays Wingnut, Gribble’s robotic sidekick. Ki, the rebel female martian, is played by Elisabeth Harnois. The Supervisor, the villain of the film, is played by Mindy Sterling. Lastly, Tom Scott Everett plays Milo’s Dad who has very short cameos.

Plot

After abduction of his Mom by martians, Milo learns the value of his Mom. The martians do as well after confronting the Supervisor.

Review

Although the CGI was generally very good for a Disney film, this movie didn’t have the charm that others have had. The combination of Gribble and Ki was perhaps a bit too over-saturated for this film as characters. They didn’t have enough charisma to pull this film through. Seth Green as Milo was perhaps the only bright spot in this film. The martian males were characterized as unusually tribal, and the women were portrayed as elitists. This separation is a bit jarring to me as an adult as these stereotypes are a bit demeaning in of themselves. If it affected me in this manner, I could not imagine how it would affect someone six or younger. Additionally, during the last few moments of the film, it showed scenes of near death, particularly of Milo’s Mom. This was beyond disturbing to put it nicely. Overall, this is perhaps Disney’s most disappointing work.

(On a side note, Milo’s Mom is a Carolina Panthers fan as she had on Steve Smith’s jersey.)

Verdict (Out of 10)

This movie was barely salvageable. I would wholeheartedly give this film a dismal 6 out of 10. The two things that were immediately salvageable in this film were the character of Milo and the CGI animation. Beyond that, it was a pretty weak offering. You are better off with The Incredibles, Tangled or The Princess and the Frog than this.