"K-Pax" for kids.

The story: After losing his wife, a fantasy/sci-fi author named David decides to adopt a child to fill the void in his life. After a chance encounter, David winds up choosing an odd child named Dennis who is under the impression that he is from Mars. While David is adjusting to fatherhood, he must also try to show Dennis how to adjust to Planet Earth. Even though "Martian Child" is based on true events, writers Seth Bass and Jonathan Tolis manage to turn this quirky tale into an overly sentimental flick that never feels the least bit believable. I never once bought anything going on in the story as every occurrence on screen felt cliched and staged. I think even John Cusack knew it was a bad idea to star in this. It would certainly explain why he sleep walked through the film. The only time he showed any life was when he was on screen with his sister Joan Cusack. To be honest, John Cusack deserves better than this. He is one of the best working actors today and he shouldn't be doing a meaningless role in a forgettable children's film. Get this man a new agent!

The 1.85:1 widescreen picture is clear, but nothing to ride home about. The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track is standard. It's sufficient enough for the film, but there isn't much meat to it.

* 14 deleted/alternate scenes that mostly focus on the child's martian behavior. * "Run, Fatboy, Run," "The Last Mimzy," "Gracie," "Hairspray," "August Rush," and "Martian Child" trailers. * DVD-ROM features. * A 24:20 documentary titled "Handle With Care: Working With The Martian Child." * A commentary track by Corey Sienega, David Kirschner, Seth Bass, and Jonathan Tolins. While the group provide some information on the production, they mostly just pat each other on the back and praise all the actors. * The best extra is called "The Real Martian Child." This extra talks about how the author of the "Martian Child" short story (David Gerrold) based the story on his own experiences with his adopted son Stan Friedman. This is FAR more interesting than the entire movie. 13 1/2 mins.

"Martian Child" is nothing more than a predictable and schmaltzy kid film. Skip it.