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MEAD
By Jennifer Borget,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Peril, language, and gore in odd comic adaptation.
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MEAD
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What's the Story?
In MEAD, a runaway starship known as Mobile Extrasensory Autonomous Deceptor (M.E.A.D) (Patton Oswalt) and his captain Friz (Samuel Hunt) are fugitives, running from a power-hungry admiral who's determined to get MEAD back and use him for war. As they're chased across the solar system, MEAD and Friz's greatest weapon is their ability to cast illusions, making their opponents see everything from dinosaurs to teddy bears. Along the way they rescue an inmate named Phoebe (Lillie Young), who is a sole survivor of an attacking ship explosion. As she warms up to the team, they strategize how to defeat the admiral. Will their illusions be enough to outsmart their pursuers? Or will the enemy forces be able to see through their schemes? It's a game of battleship based in space as the crew tries to fight for their survival.
Is It Any Good?
While MEAD is a sci-fi movie with a spunky robot, it has poor pacing and lacks depth. The setting takes place in space, which might draw some sci-fi viewers into the plot, but it's also slow-moving and at times hard to follow. On one hand, MEAD is appealing as a witty AI robot with a heart to avoid violence. On the other hand, he's a snarky, name-calling being with a habit of projecting a holographic version of his captain's former girlfriend to tease and flirt with him. The mix of live-action actors in an animated setting is an interesting approach that can feel a bit jarring.
There are some bright spots in the plot, usually surrounding the illusion sequences, including an appearance of a T-rex and floating rubber ducky, and a few chuckles along the way. Viewers familiar with the 1970s comic the movie is adapted from might enjoy this motion-picture recreation. Everyone else might prefer to gravitate toward another movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in movies for kids. Does the animation style in the movie make the violence seem more or less impactful? Why?
How would you compare this to other space movies you've seen? What did you think of the live-action mixed with animation style? Do you think that makes the story more or less enjoyable? Why?
MEAD and Friz both helped each other in different ways. What positive and negative things did you notice about the friendship between the human and robot?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 9, 2022
- Cast: Samuel Hunt , Robert Picardo , Patton Oswalt , Patrick Warburton , Lillie Young
- Director: J. Allen Williams
- Studio: Vision Media
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 5, 2023
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