[Tribeca 2024] MARS -- The Whitest Kids U'Know's Swan Song

Review by Tatiana Miranda

For many, Mars might seem like just another adult animated movie, but for those familiar with the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U'Know and their sketch comedy series of the same name, it's the latest and last collaboration of the group following the end of the series in 2011 and leader Trevor Moore's death in 2021. The group had been working on Mars since 2012 and shifted it from an originally live-action film to an animated one. Even with all of the changes over the years, Zach Cregger, one of the filmmakers and members of the troupe, ensures that the final film is what Moore had envisioned. 

Drawn in a crass and simple hand-drawn style, Mars isn't anything revolutionary when it comes to adult animation in terms of visuals. Even the film's humor, while entertaining, does pander to a specific audience, that audience being long-standing fans of the troupe. Inside jokes from the group's crowdfunding campaigns make an appearance, and the film makes understated yet topical commentary on the extremities of wealth and the boredom of billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Yet, the film doesn't hold a lot of depth beyond being an homage to Moore and The Whitest Kids U'Know. 

Since most of the group's comedy experience comes from their sketch series, it makes sense that the movie feels more like a series of sketches rather than a full feature-length film. Between the over-the-top characters and the unreal situations they find themselves in, the movie isn't lacking in comedy and is one of the things that the movie excels at. Yet, out of all of the adult animated series and films out these days, Mars doesn't stand out as the plot, and some of the characters, such as the main one, Kyle Capshaw, voiced by Cregger, feel a bit one-dimensional, even when they try not to be.

The film opens as Capshaw decides to abandon his overbearing fiance and father-in-law's dentist practice to start a new life on Mars. Alongside him on Mars are an adult kidnapping survivor, a religious fanatic, and a teacher, along with billionaire Elron Branson, who organized the trip to colonize the planet. With a very caricature-like cast of characters, it would make sense for the film to lean into the absurdity similar to popular adult animations such as Rick and Morty and Smiling Friends. Yet, it attempts to give the characters arcs to mixed results. With Capshaw's crisis that landed him on Mars, a narrative arc would make sense as he attempts to return home, but any growth or personality given to the character is quickly interrupted by one of the film's many gags.

While Mars might not necessarily work as its own entity, it is a testament to the comedic style and fanbase that The Whitest Kids U'Know has spent so many years establishing. Even though it marks the end of the troupe's collaboration, it is a well-earned culmination of the group's humor and the evolution of the film since its inception in 2012. ​

Mars premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, which ran from June 5-16 in New York City.

Rating: 2.5/5