Martian Child Reviews

Directed by Spielberg protege Menno Meyjes, Martian Child is contrived, but it works.

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Just more middling, forgettable fare for the movie memory scrap heap.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10

John Cusack is the best and main reason to see this mediocre film about a self-confessed oddball and successful sci-fi writer David who adopts a misfit.

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An amusing and heartfelt exploration of the ups and downs involved when adopting a child -- in this case, one who insists he's from another planet.

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The things Martian Child gets right are strong enough to save this apparent glucose-spiker.

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Manipulative to an almost absurd degree...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4

Though it panders shamelessly, it's not entirely unwelcome in a time when the PG movie is an endangered species. [DVD review included.]

| Original Score: 2/4

What works is Cusack and Coleman. When they are on screen together something interesting always seems to happen.

Full Review | Original Score: C+

The credits state that Martian Child stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet and Joan Cusack, but really, it stars Lucky Charms, M&M's and Amazon.com.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4

The entire cast is fully committed to this squishily sentimental tale, which is especially impressive given that it's the kind of generic dramedy you'll swear you've seen a thousand times before.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4

Cusack seems determined to make this work, and contributes some nice scenes. But he's better than the movie around him.

Full Review | Original Score: C

Martian Child would be a Lifetime Movie of the Week without the Cusacks

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While David imagines other worlds for profit, Martian Child crash-lands on this one.

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Sometimes, "The Martian Child" works as a weeper.Other times, you'll just hate yourself for getting wrapped in what essentially is manipulation. It's good-hearted enough, but it plays more with your emotions than it does with delivering an intelligent sto

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

John Cusack is perfect but it's Bobby Coleman who delivers one of the most uniquely original kid performances ever. You actually believe he might be from Mars.

| Original Score: 3/5

...a betrayal of the book...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5

... features a mesmerizing kid actor. But, as good as his acting is, it's just a one-note performance ... that starts off as intriguing but ends up becoming tiresomely repetitive.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4

It's rare that a movie has this little flavor. Compared to Martian Child, a jar of Gerber's mashed bananas is a taste treat.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5

Unfortunately for Martian Child this has more maple sap pouring out of it than a neglected Vermont tree looking for a good tapping.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4

After an ebullient and inventive first half, the film loses its wind and only gets it back for a sprint or two.

Full Review | Original Score: B-