John's Movie Musings

Like I mentioned last review, I was in Tokyo last week. For my trip over the Pacific (a trip God never intended anyone to make), Martian Child was my in-flight entertainment. Well, that and the food. When you get a chance, be sure to fly any of the Asian airlines. They're an adventure. And by adventure, I mean awesome.

Martian Child is a John Cusack movie. Half of you just skipped to the next review. Sure, he exceeds his Man Quota of romantic comedies every year, but I mostly like his stuff.

In this one, he plays a Sci-Fi (excuse me, Speculative Fiction) writer wanting to adopt a son. The movie really glazes over all those details, but eventually he forms a bond with a boy who says he's from Mars. And yes, there is a "Men are from Mars" joke. Think of it as the romantic comedy equivalent of a fart joke. "Well, you know men are from Mars. Pull my finger."

After all those tiny complications are conveniently swept under the rug, the movie digs in and starts taking jabs at your tear ducts. As Cusack explains, "Well, I'm sort of an expert in fantasy and I find that it allows us to explore things that are too tough for us to handle." If you can imagine what kind of past this kid has experienced to lead him thinking he's from another planet, you have a pretty good idea of where this movie takes you.

I tend to believe people should see these kinds of movies at least once a year. For me, it helps soften my cold, bitter heart and look at life (and the people in it) with a bit more warmth.

Grade: B+