At first glance the movie seems to resolve the MFM TV series storyline, but in actuality, it does not. In fact, it has no impact on the realm of the TV series, nor is it even valid.

Here are the facts:

1. The second Martian in the Disney film is named Neenurt. The TV Martian is named Exigious 12½ and this name is spoken on 4 occasions during the series.

2. We are told that the second Martian in the movie version landed in 1964. The TV series favorite Martian landed in 1963 and he even states this in the episode, "Martin of the Movies".

3. The movie Martian, Neenurt, is described as the greatest scientist on Mars. The TV series Martian is a professor of anthropology.

4. In the movie, Neenurt sports a handsome goatee beard and has silver hair. But since Martians age slowly it is reasonable to assume that the TV Martian would be of the same appearance over 30 years later.

5. Neenurt, while being a candid, intelligent and classy chap, displays a different personality and disposition from the TV Martian, Uncle Martin.

The conclusion is, they are not the same character.

However, that being said, the film still presents a far greater problem.

Disney’s version asserts that Martians are not really humanoid, but rather the clichéd 3-eyed multi-legged creature stereotype that the series shattered.

And, in so doing, the filmmakers leave an implication that this would be the true form of the TV series Martian.

But that is plainly not the case, and this is proven in the series.

1. When the TV series opens, Tim discovers the Martian who is unconscious in his spaceship, and the alien is human in appearance. (Maybe he saw the crash coming and changed in time? No. Read on)

2. In a much later TV episode, "…Martian Mother’s Day" while the Martian is alone, he gazes at a hologram-like projection of his mother, a sweet elderly lady, and quite human in appearance. Later, he meets a lovely senior citizen who bears a resemblance to his mother. If his true form was so radically different (and preferred) according to the movie, why then, privately, should images from home be of the humanoid variety and why should he momentarily mistake an elderly human lady for his mother? Because Martians are humanoid.

3. In "Girl in the Flying Machine" the Martian gives the alias name of "Zelda" to a beautiful foreign female cosmonaut because, "She reminds me of a girl back home."

4. When Tim points out lovely co-worker Cynthia Parker to Martin, the Martian comments, "—That’s real Martian beauty!"

5. In the "No Cure.." episode, Martin is indignant upon learning of a space toy exhibit that portrays Martians as distorted looking creatures.

6. And, when his 11 year old Martian nephew appears in one episode, the youngster is discovered in his ship, quite human in appearance.

The movie’s assertion about the true form of Martians is incorrect.

How to reconcile the two versions?

Simple.

For those who feel that an explanation is in order, why not consider that the movie’s story takes place in a parallel universe/or dimension. Think of the TV show Sliders or a solar system duplicate of our own, at the other end of a galaxy (far, far, far away, perhaps?) complete with its own "Earth" and "Mars". (Star Trek promoted those ideas of parallel development more than once.) On this parallel Mars, the inhabitants evolved from different organisms, hence their appearance and ability to morph.

So, in this parallel world/universe/dimension, an inhabitant of their Mars named Neenurt is marooned on a parallel Earth in their year of 1964 and, to look for a way home, he assumes the identity of the head of a government agency that investigates aliens and UFOs.

PS: While it is true that in the "...Going, Gone" sunspot episode of the TV series, the Martian does chew gum, he does it to assume the personality of a guy lost on the freeways for several weeks.

Sometimes, to paraphrase what was once said, a stick of gum is just a stick of gum.