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Movies / On DVD / Martian Child
Martian Child

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Martian Child (2007)

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Reviews Counted:102

Fresh:32

Rotten:70

Average Rating:5/10

Consensus: Despite some charms, overt emotional manipulation and an inconsistent tone prevents Martian Child from being the heartfelt dramedy it aspires to be.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic elements and mild language

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Nov 2, 2007 Wide

Box Office: $7,486,906

Synopsis: After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in... After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in 1408, GRACE IS GONE, and MARTIAN CHILD, the beloved actor grows up and deserves some of the highest praise of his career. In MARTIAN CHILD, David Gordon (Cusack) is a successful science fiction author, plagued by both the death of his wife and writer's block. When a group home worker (Sophie Okonedo) tries to pair him with a young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman), David initially resists. But once David spends time with Dennis, he realizes how special the boy is. The outsider (and sci-fi fan) in David thinks he might just understand Dennis best since the child believes that he's from Mars and he'll return there soon. David and Dennis struggle to create the most unconventional of families, as Dennis strives to learn more about being human. MARTIAN CHILD is a moving drama that works because of the genuine performances of everyone involved, but it rides on both the experienced shoulders of Cusack and those of his young costar, Coleman. Both excel at communicating their characters' isolation and eventual connection, but it's Coleman's work in his first major role that is such a pleasant surprise. Supporting turns from Cusack's sister Joan (who plays his sister in the film) and Amanda Peet add emotional depth to the sweet story. MARTIAN CHILD is based on the autobiographical novel by David Gerrold, who is most famous for writing the STAR TREK fan favorite "The Trouble with Tribbles." [More]

Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt

Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Sophie Okonedo, Bobby Coleman, David Kaye, Richard Schiff

Director: Menno Meyjes

Director: Menno Meyjes
Screenwriter: Seth Bass, Jonathan Tolins
Producer: David Kirschner, Ed Elbert, Corey Sienega
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Release:

Feb 12, 2008

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Reviews for Martian Child

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61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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Part of the reason it works is that the film at least tries to make the Kid something other than a face you'd see on a cereal box.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
11/01/07
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Despite the film's laziness and mawkishness, however, Martian Child has some lovely sections.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
11/01/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

John Cusack gets seriously spaced out, in this cross between A Beautiful Mind and ET.

Full Review Source: Long Island Press | comment Comment
11/01/07
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
Long Island Press

Everything you expect it to be, then it goes on for another 20 minutes.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
11/01/07
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

A story that has me checking the time, frequently, is telling.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/01/07
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

the fairly predictable cornball fluff we anticipate when off-center loners find a middle ground.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/01/07
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Filmcritic.com

An occasionally schmaltzy but likable story of healing and redemption.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/01/07
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

John Cusack, Coleman and the rest of the talented crew on screen reach moments of authenticity that are thrilling.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
11/01/07
Mary-Liz Shaw
Mary-Liz Shaw
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Before long, the story's conceit -- a loud-and-clear metaphor for the ways in which we all sometimes feel alien when it comes to human relationships -- just becomes wearying.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
11/01/07
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The quirky allure of Joan Cusack can offset a lot of sentiment in a movie, but even she drowns in the goop of Martian Child.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
11/01/07
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

A film so cloying it could have been processed from high-fructose corn syrup.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/01/07
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

It's sweet and lovely and honest, and it made me laugh and cry, and John Cusack and the little boy, Bobby Coleman, are fantastic, and I want them to move next door and be my brother and nephew, respectively.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
11/01/07
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Heartfelt pap.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
11/01/07
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

It either is stiff and dry or it piles on the schmaltz in absurd amounts. In that sense, it offers the worst of both worlds.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
11/01/07
Randy Cordova
Randy Cordova
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unfortunately, the second half of the movie gets pretty messy, and the sudden tonal shifts (things go from light comedy to dark drama) are a bit jarring.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
11/01/07
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

The science-fiction elements are mere window dressing for a story that's most affecting when it's down to earth, rather than when it's following its heroes' flights of fancy.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
11/01/07
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

It's a largely dreary time at the movies and offers next to nothing for the kids that it's advertising to.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
11/01/07
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony

In December, Cusack will be back on screen in Grace Is Gone, another portrait of a grieving widower struggling to raise children. Viewers may want to hold out to see him in a film that maintains its sensitivity all the way through.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/01/07
Tasha Robinson
Tasha Robinson
Chicago Tribune

Heartfelt, but uninspired, the film follows a plodding, predictable path that does not deviate for a second from what the viewer expects.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
11/01/07
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

My heart was ready to be warmed. But it never got above room temperature.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
11/01/07
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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