Back Shelf Beauties
by Willie Waffle

Martian Child 

John Cusack stars as David – a widowed science fiction writer looking to open up his home and heart to a young child who needs both.  Since this is a unique situation, the local adoption agency sees an opportunity to help a unique child.  Young Dennis (Bobby Coleman) is a loner who thinks he is from Mars, and spends most of his day in a cardboard box to avoid the Earth’s deadly rays (and avoid interaction with the kids who think he is weird).  Now, David wants to help reach out to the kid and give him the kind of home where he won’t always be an outcaste. 

Will David be able to help this troubled child?

Martian Child is everything you expect it to be, then it goes on for another 20 minutes rehashing it all for anyone who might have snuck out to the concession stand or bathroom.  I don’t have an objection to a formulaic movie if it is done well, and Martian Child borders on done well most of the time, but director Menno Meyjes and writers Seth Bass and Jonathan Tolins (based on the novel by David Gerrold) disrupt the formula for no good reason. 

The audience is treated to the cute scenes where David and Dennis start to bond, and we realize they are kindred souls.  We get the scenes of David struggling with his new parental duties, as well as trying to get to the heart of Dennis’s problems.  You might even have the suspicion we will have a big custody hearing showdown where David must profess his love for the kid and show how much they have grown (I’m not giving anything away if you have seen one commercial or trailer for Martian Child).  

However, instead of coming up with some unique story or approach after what most of us would consider to be the climax, Meyjes and team just rehash the same stuff that we thought we dealt with already.  We don’t need another similar crisis.  We don’t need Dennis struggling with the same issues we thought he overcame.  That’s not being original.  That’s being repetitive.

Bass and Tolin provide a script with good dialogue at times, like some moments where David doles out fatherly advice to his kid.  They even give some great material to supporting comic relief characters played by Oliver Platt and Joan Cusack, especially for Cusack as the most realistic and truth speaking mother you will see on a screen.  However, Meyjes presents the conflict too quickly as David suddenly finds himself in trouble too soon.

Martian Child has some touching moments, and good acting from all of the adults, so you might be able to stomach it.  

2 Waffles (Out of 4)

Martian Child is rated PG for thematic elements and mild language

Copyright 2007 - WaffleMovies.com

You can support this site by shopping at AllPosters.com Click here to buy posters!