A Wild, Trippy Ride to Mars...
By Alicia Hollinger
HOLLYWOOD, CA 3/10/11 –
HOLLYWOOD, CA 3/10/11 –
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| Seth Green at "Mars Needs Moms" premiere |
“Mars Needs Moms,” Disney’s newest 3D movie is not just for kids. Starring Seth Green, Dan Fogler and Joan Cusack, directed by Simon Wells, and produced by Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey and Steven Boyd, the movie opens in theaters March 11.
The screenplay, written by Simon Wells and his wife Wendy Wells, is loosely based on the children’s book by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (“Opus”). Breathed was inspired to write the book after an eventful dinner at home. “One night my son Milo threw his broccoli into the air and stormed from the table—a scene depicted with more civility in the movie,” says Breathed. “Upon leaving, he said something about his mother too vile to repeat here—which would only result in expensive therapy later if he ever remembered. From out of nowhere came my next line: ‘You might think differently about your mom if she were kidnapped by Martians.’ I spun on my heels and wrote the book that night. The rest is Disney history.”
The screenplay, written by Simon Wells and his wife Wendy Wells, is loosely based on the children’s book by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (“Opus”). Breathed was inspired to write the book after an eventful dinner at home. “One night my son Milo threw his broccoli into the air and stormed from the table—a scene depicted with more civility in the movie,” says Breathed. “Upon leaving, he said something about his mother too vile to repeat here—which would only result in expensive therapy later if he ever remembered. From out of nowhere came my next line: ‘You might think differently about your mom if she were kidnapped by Martians.’ I spun on my heels and wrote the book that night. The rest is Disney history.”
The story is about a nine year-old kid Milo (Green), who after complaining about not needing his Mom (Cusack), must rescue her after she is kidnapped by Martians. With the help of an underground Earth man, Gribble (Fogler) and a rebel Martian hottie, Ki, (Elizabeth Harnois,) Milo saves the life of his now appreciated mom. The Martians are comprised of two opposing groups, a Nazi-like, Orwellian group of women headed by the Martian leader “Supervisor,” (Mindy Sterling) and a small group of renegades depicted as Dead-Head, Haight-Ashbury type, scroungy but lovey-dovey hippy Martians.
Green, known for his voice-overs on “Family Guy” and on his Adult Swim animated comedy “Robot Chicken,” does not do voices in this film, but acting—as a nine year-old. Motion capture technology was used to capture his every expression and movement and the child’s voice was dubbed in by another Seth, eleven year-old Seth Dusky. CGI has changed quite a bit since the production team of ImageMover’s Digital’s earlier film, “Polar Express.” Nine year-old Milo clearly looks like a kid-version of Green, every freckle in place with every nuance of his facial expressions. “The best shot of Polar express can’t compare to the worst shot of this movie. This movie is the collective experience of all the other performance capture movies we’ve made as well as others,” says producer, Starkey.
Although the screenplay is loosely based on the book, much was changed during production, thanks mostly to the humorous ad-libbing of Tony Award winner Dan Fogler. His character landed on Mars as a child back in the eighties and the actor was allowed to do as much ad-libbing as he pleased as long as all references stayed within the era. “The cast in this movie is probably one of the best improv casts put together in recent years,” says Zemeckis.
The actors, were thrilled with the process of motion capture technology, never having to worry about hitting marks, camera angles, wardrobe, make-up and lights, they were able to focus on their performance and had the freedom to play like kids playing “let’s pretend.” It felt more like theater to the cast as they shot full scenes running over four pages without interruption. “There was no hurry up and wait,” says Fogler, “just hurry, we’re ready.” On the first day of shooting Seth Green showed up with a shaved head and a bright blue mohawk. “When else am I ever going to be on a movie where I can do this?” he said.
Marketed as a children’s movie, there are a surprising amount of grown-up references, spanning the generations —from Timothy Leary’s “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out” to the eighties’ My Sharona. Adults and teens will find a whole other level to the humor– psychedelia, not-so-subtle references to LSD, and the trippy 3D IMAX experience would probably be a draw for the 420 crowd if they weren’t repelled by the title. The title, clearly marketed toward young children was an issue of much contention, the producers fighting to keep the original title of the book, Disney wanting to change it, but eventually giving in. Based on the commercials, they have clearly decided to market it toward a very young audience.
Wells, who’s the great grandson of eminent sci-fi author H.G. Wells, decided to expand the scenes on Mars, capitalizing on the use of 3D technology, allowing the audience to experience environments that they would never normally see, being fully absorbed into an alien world. The 3D experience is a character in itself, emphasizing dramatic moments by either going into the screen or out into the audience. The 3D stereo is used as a narrative medium says Stereo Supervisor Anthony Shafer. “It heightens story points and emotion, making it a much more immersive experience.”
This is a movie that really HAS to be seen in 3D Imax where it can be experienced as a psychedelic wild ride rather than just a kid’s movie… And make sure to stick around during the credits for a fascinating peak into the production process…
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