
Over the past 10 years, The Whitest Kids U’ Know have been working on their animated movie, Mars, which was finally made this year. And boy were there expectations! The Trump administration in Hollywood, as well as the entirety of Shell Oil’s board of directors, do not seem to be fans of the film. And then again, neither are most of the sensibilities.
The character of Kyle is a typical young adult who is about to be married. Kyle is a dentist who is working at his father-in-law’s clinic. He’s even said to be about to take full ownership of the practice. But with a couple of that near-future prospects, he is unhappy and wants more out of his life. The only thing stopping him is his upcoming wedding so he decides to bite the bullet in hopes that all of his feelings will go away within time.
In the meantime, the madcap billionaire Elron Branson is also holding a competition for volunteers who will fly with him to Mars, a mission that will be the first in the history of mankind. All one has to do is upload a video addressing the question: ‘Why do I want to take part in the mission?’ After a wild night with his best man, he wakes up and feels like sending in a video to Branson’s contest. Time flies by and Branson’s lottery comes to an end. Weeks pass, and Kyle gets no selection in Branson’s lottery; he settles reluctantly for his imminent marriage. A winner of one of the flights is hurt on the due date of Kyle’s marriage and during an emergency ballot, Kyle’s name is drawn. After some hesitation, he takes the decision to leave his bride at the altar and proceed to Mars. What is supposed to be a new beginning for him turns out to be a new nightmare due to a series of unexpected developments and the increasing madness of the crew.
Now, that’s the ‘glow in the dark’ friendship version of the plot. Well, it becomes very clear from the very first five minutes of the footage as well why The Whitest Kids U’ Know decided to animate this story. There, their productivity knows no limits including their content, where characters appear using and enjoying drugs or engaging in graphic violence and nudity. If the third act alone doesn’t make the MPAA throw a fit, the remainder of it certainly will. There are also some explanations that are presented just so that they can be dismissed as offensive. But even they cannot do anything to stem the group’s vicious vitriol against the super super-class.
Just last year, everyone was fixating on the undersea vessel that set off in pursuit of the Titanic wreck only to go missing. And every now and then, a new star comes to the forefront who flies to widespread fame for going to space with Virgin Galactica. The fact is, the world is full of powerful people who look to push the envelope on normal human boundaries without caring much for ethicality. Whatever the case is, that concern is clear throughout Kyle’s journey no matter how crass the message is. Of course, Branson is willing to pay for a trip to Mars.
However, as we come to appreciate, possessing cash to support the species’ next evolutionary leap does not equate to being a human being, or at least broadening one’s concepts concerning it. On the other extreme, it is Kyle who is able to span all those distances from mankind to be able to appreciate the significance of compassion and the reason for his harping on unhappiness in the first place.
The film in its defense can be said to take its observations so far regarding the when it comes to humanity, that it comes time at its science fiction that it forgets. In the event there is one thing to criticize about the film itself, it is the fact that its high concept is not as much of a focus. To put it mildly, the film still remains good, just that there are painfully clear missed chances to be even more freakish than it claims to be.
The film’s trailer features John C. Reilly as the voice of the lead character and claims an MPAA PG rating for action, mild language, suggestive themes, and brief toilet humor. Is Mars simply a blast(off) from start to finish and easily the most hilarious animated film ever made in a space setting? Even the critics’ most stern views of the film come with a sense of humor. Given that this is the troupe’s swan song only adds to its value as I can imagine it being their farewell piece.
The film forms part of the main competition for the best film award to be held at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, so keep an eye out for a wider release shortly!
For More Movies Like – Mars (2024) – visit on 123Movies