The story of a single man who reluctantly takes a weird kid under his wing and ends up with a kooky, cobbled-together family of his own, Martian Child would like to be About a Boy (Who Thinks He's a Martian), but, disappointingly, it doesn't even come close.
Based on a novel by science-fiction writer David Gerrold, the movie stars John Cusack as David Gordon, a science-fiction writer who adopts a 6-year-old boy two years after the death of his wife. The kid is called Dennis (Bobby Coleman), and he's a skinny, squeaky-voiced oddball whose many eccentricities include wearing a weight belt to keep from floating away and walking around inside a cardboard box to protect himself from the sun.
Martian Child (New Line Cinema) Starring John Cusack, Bobby Coleman. Directed by Menno Meyjes. Rated PG. Time 108 minutes.
ONLINE
Watch a preview of Martian Child at baltimoresun.com/martianchild
