A Martian crash lands on Earth and moves in with a
hapless reporter while government forces are hunting him. FAMILY/SCI-FI
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My Favorite Martian (1999)Directed by Donald Petrie
Written by Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver Starring Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Daniels, Elizabeth Hurley, Daryl Hannah, Wayne Knight, Wallace Shawn, Christine Ebersole, Michael Lerner, Ray Walston Based on the 1963-1966 TV series |
When I was a kid, I apparently had a thing for critically-reviled film remakes of old TV shows. I loved Inspector Gadget, Lost in Space, Wild Wild West, and My Favorite Martian. I was young. I didn't know better. Besides, I still enjoy watching all of those movies, even though they're terrible. Sue me. But I digress. My Favorite Martian is a family sci-fi/comedy starring Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Daniels as a Martian in human form and the reporter whose life gets turned upside down because of him. It's silly, it's funny, it's visually exciting, and it was one of my favorites as a child.
Tim O'Hara (Daniels) is a producer looking for a big story. He's in love with his boss's dimwitted, diva daughter Brace (Hurley), and doesn't even see that his best friend Lizzie (Hannah) is in love with him. One day, he witnesses a UFO crash, and takes the miniaturized spaceship home. The Martian (Lloyd) follows him home, assumes human form, and starts calling himself Uncle Martin as a disguise. Tim agrees to help him and his loudmouthed, sentient spacesuit Zoot (Knight) get home before his ship explodes, destroying Earth in the process. Also, Wallace Shawn is hunting him. Say what you want, but I wholeheartedly disagree with the critics here. It's a fun movie that certainly isn't boring. They even got the original show's star, Ray Walston, to play a significant role. That's gotta mean something. My Favorite Martian remains a nostalgic favorite of mine. I rewatched it recently, thinking my thoughts might've changed. But they haven't. I still love it, and I honestly do not see why people hated it back in 1999. Anyone who knows me knows that I could watch Christopher Lloyd read the phonebook and I'd be thoroughly invested, so there's a little bias. But some movies need someone in their corner. This one's got me. |