Butt-Ugly Martians: Hoverboard Heroes

When three Martians (B. Bop-A-Luna, 2-T-Fru-T and Do-Wah-Diddy) who are sent to conquer Earth decide that it's…well…just too cool to destroy, they hook up with Earth kids Mikey, Angela and Cedric for fun times while trying to hoodwink Emperor Bog (their boss) into believing they are still carrying out the mission. Butt-Ugly Martians: Hoverboard Heroes compiles three episodes from the hit animated Nickelodeon series, beginning with "Damage's Little Girl," in which the Martians compete for a she-Devil alien who steals their hearts--and their powers. In "Playback/Payback," the "Butt-Uglies" (as the kids have nicknamed them) invade Mikey's house while his folks are away, and in "Everybody Loves Angie," a five-eyed creature sent by the Emperor to help the Butt-Uglies in their mission falls for (and captures) Angela. The characters are comical--even supporting cast such as alien-hunter goof Muldoon, the Uglies' mechanical dog, and evil Dr. Damage--and hey, anything with "butt" in the title will have the 'tween set rolling around on the floor. A nifty premise, corny dialogue, and sharp CGI animation make this a natural for kid-friendly pop collections. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams)