User reviews

This was yet another big screen outing for a US TV show from the sixties It is amusing enough but was very much to formula. Intelligent Martian lands on Earth and meets the not too bright humans, in his view.

The usual wackiness ensues with the human, Bridges, eventually bonds with him and helps him to get home. Along the way he also gets the girl, Hannah.

This is a nice outing for some pleasant Hollywood stars who I had not seen for a while.

Pleasant enough to pass some spare time if you have not got anything better to view.

My Favourite Martian (1999, Dir. Donald Petrie)

Life couldn't get much worse for News Producer Tim O'Hara. He humiliates the one he loves, Brace Channing and ends up getting fired by her father. Then, a Martian from Mars arrives in his home. The Martian adopts the name 'Uncle Martin' and becomes friends with Tim, whilst he fixes his ship. Unaware to Martin, Tim actually wants to reveal him to the world, but can he actually do that to his new friend and 'Uncle'?

I was very young when this came out, and at the time i loved it. I am not familiar at all with the original TV series and had never seen any of the episodes, but i do know what makes a good film, and this film isn't exactly a good film. The film just did not have a well built story. The film just seemed to have a lot of scenes of talking and walking around. The film was basically just following them around in their normal lives. When action did begin to pick up, this was very limited and was over in a matter of minutes. The characters really didn't have much character in them. There weren't many jokes at all coming from any of them. Christopher Lloyd only seemed to play the most interesting character and did provide me with a few laughs. He had all the perfect characteristics, but this still doesn't save a poorly written film.

"Is there an alien amongst us?" - Brace Channing (Elizabeth Hurley)

I'm only 17, so I've never seen the old show. But, I liked this movie. I saw it with my parents when I was 10. I don't know why everyone is complaining. Christopher Lloyd is amazing! He's an amazing actor. I thought he did well. I'm not a big fan of Daryl Hannah or Elizabeth Hurley, but they did well, too. I liked it! The suit was creative, and I found him to be one of the funniest characters. Maybe some of you don't have the imagination, and maybe your children don't either. I see it as a creative movie. It's not my favorite movie of all time, but I liked it. It depends what your taste is. When I first saw it, I didn't know it was a show, and it didn't affect my opinion of it at all.

We went into this movie because my husband had enjoyed the original version of `My favourite Martian'. We had our 6 year old daughter with us. She wanted to leave halfway through the movie which was fine with both her parents! The parts we did see were only occasionally humorous, mostly either too silly or gross. I would expect that this movie might appeal to kids between 9-12, if that. It's definitely not suited for younger children. From what I've heard the original series was by far superior and if you are going to "relive the past" you'll probably be disappointed.

Boy, I can hear those producers right now: "That's great, a movie-version of My Favorite Martian... That calls for computer FX! Get me those CGI-people!"

The writers: "Well, we were hoping that the story..."

The Producers: "Yes, yes, yes! But enough with the story, GET ME COMPUTER FX!!! GOTTA HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF FX!!! KIDS WILL LOVE IT!!!"

And thus yet another charming 60's TV-show was mutilated by Hollywood.

This movie version is so loaded with pointless F/X they left no room for a story, not to mention comedy! All though Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyd try their best the story just ISN'T FUNNY. Not to mention that dreadful ZOOT-character voiced by Wayne Knight: it ranks as one of the most annoying film characters off all time, alongside the infamous Jar Jar Binks.

One plus worth mentioning: the star of the original show, Ray Walston, turns up and he is in surprisingly good form.

When I was a kid in the 50's and 60's anything connected with Disney was by definition great. What happened? They are able to get any actors and actresses they want, the best of their time. But somehow Disney manages to screw things up in spite of their abundant resources.

Disney can afford the best writers, the best producers and directors, but still...they screw things up! This movie is crap. The sad thing is that I suspect Disney in their arrogance does not even know when a movie is good or bad.

It is only due to the talent of the actors that I can even give it a 3 of 10.

Shazbot, is this embarrassing. In fact, here's a list of 100 that makes up the embarrassment: 1.) a failed comeback for Christopher Lloyd. 2.) Jeff Daniels basically playing the same role he played in the live 101 Dalmatians remake which wasn't too juicy to begin with. He sure has a funny way of promoting his Purple Rose Theatre... 3.) Disnefluff. 4.) another disappointing reminder that Wallace Shawn is to Disney what Jet Li was to Bob Hoskins in Unleashed. 5.) Ray Walston, the original martian from the TV series, played a bit part (read "cameo") in this flick and died two years later of lupus. Coincidence? 6.) awful special effects. Seriously - awful. 7.-100.) that damn talking, farting suit voiced to an annoying degree by Wayne Knight ("Newman!"). My favorite scene? HA! HA ha, ha! Ha ha ha ha ha... Whew!... Good one. You - You're a joker. Okay, let's wrap up this review with a moment of silence for this franchise's agonizing death, and if you would like, you can say a quick prayer that Disney doesn't forget this travesty and do something silly like a movie adaptation of "Mork and Mindy" starring Tim Allen.........................................................

I might be crazy but I did actually enjoy this film is it a perfect film? No but did I like it? Yes

I never seen the original show so I didn't have any high hopes or anything of that nature going into this film. I just remember seeing it on PPV for the first time with the family back in 1999 so It was a film I would just sit back relax and enjoy.

Jeff Daniels, Christopher Lloyd,Daryl Hannah, Elizabeth Hurley Wallace Shawn star in this Family/comedy from Disney. Also features Wayne Knight in a Uncredited voice role as the voice of Zoot

I actually enjoy the film for having some creative humor and the plot did hold my interest. I do think they could have done the film without a few of the "JOKES" they made in the film but the rest do work

If you don't take this movie seriously you might actually find it funny because I did and yes it's not a perfect movie but I have seen worse

I give My Favorite Martian an 7 out of 10

Tim (Gary Daniels) wants desperately to break into serious television reporting. When a job he begged for goes awry, he is fired. His beautiful but empty girlfriend (Elizabeth Hurley) says sayonara, too. Coming home, Tim is startled to discover his house has an uninvited visitor (Christopher Lloyd) from the planet Mars! Calling him Uncle Martin, Tim soon tries to help his new friend navigate life on earth. But, Martin gets in trouble wherever he goes, from the bathroom to the laundry room and more. Lovely Lizzie (Daryl Hannah) finally sees an opportunity to make time with Tim but the course of true love does not run smooth in this case, either. Soon everyone in television is stalking Tim, hoping for a story about a true alien. What's a man to do? For those who loved the old television show of the same name, with Bill Bixby and Ray Walston, this film is not worthy to tie the proverbial boots. Its truly, undeniably awful, with no plot and a reliance on supposed special effects which fall flat, too. Daniels is okay as the earthling but Lloyd is simply terrible as the alien, overacting up a storm. The rest of the cast is adequate, as are the costumes, set, and production details. Even if your children see the cover and beg for this film, convince them to pick out another flick at the video store. Be assured, kids and adults will find this movie a colossal bore, so opt for A Night at the Museum or Around the World in 80 Days instead.

I have always had a big soft spot for this whacky sci-fi Family comedy since seeing it at the cinema way back in 1999!!! "My Favourite Martian" is a Disney production & that means it's a beautiful looking & expensive movie with fantastic special effects & fun silly humour but with a big heart. This is based on the old 60's t.v series which i had never seen so i always judged this fun film as it is, a big budget summertime fantasy comedy that anyone can & should enjoy!!!

I've always liked Jeff Daniels since his great performance in the 1990 Classic Arachnophobia & later in the hilarious Jim Carrey Comedy Dumb & Dumber, he's a funny guy in a straight faced type of performance & here he's good fun as News producer Tim O'Hara who gets mixed up with a being from out of space, a strange Martian played by a very funny Christopher Lloyd who ends up playing his Uncle Martin while on Earth, IT'S a fun whacky part for the great Christopher Lloyd who is legendary at playing whacky & eccentric characters like his Doc Brown from the Back to the Future films. "Uncle Martin" has a sidekick with him, a super slick silver & stretchy space suit named Zoot voiced by Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park, SpaceJam) & the rest of the cast is rounded out by a solid & fun cast with the beautiful & seductive Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers) Daryl Hannah (Memoirs of an invisible man) & Wallace Shawn (Toy Story, Haunted Mansion) all who seem to be having a good time & i love Jeff Daniels apartment it's Awesome!!! There's just a nice sweet & feelgood vibe to this fantasy adventure & it's beautifully shot with it's summertime look & suburban settings & some lovely scenes by the beach side & a nice musical score that compliments everything. The special effects are very good, especially for it's time when computer effects hadn't completely taken over yet but they look great still & i love the nice buddy chemistry between Daniels & Lloyd & that gives the movie it's sweet good-hearted nature & there's just a nice sense of fun & plenty of fun adventure scenes & great chemistry between Daniels & Lloyd, wish they made a sequel as i love these two together. A genuinely just enjoyable fantasy comedy for the whole family, so just chillout & have some fun. Pure 90's fun.

There is no possible reason I can fathom why this movie was ever made.

Why must Hollywood continue to crank out one horrible update of a classic after another? ( Cases in point: Mister Magoo, The Avengers - awful! )

Christopher Lloyd, whom I normally enjoy, was so miserably miscast in this role. His manic portrayal of our beloved "Uncle Martin" is so unspeakably unenjoyable to be almost criminal. His ranting, groaning, grimacing and histrionics provide us with no reason to care for his character except as some 1 dimensional cartoon character.

The director must have thought that fast movements, screaming dialogue and "one-take" slapstick had some similarity to comedy. Apparently he told EVERY ACTOR to act as if they had red ants in their pants.

Fault must lie with the irresponsibly wrought script. I think the writer used "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" as an example of a fine comedy script. As manic as that 1963 classic is, it is far superior to this claptrap - in fact - suddenly it looks pretty good in comparison.

What is most sad about this movie is that it must have apparently been written to appeal to young children. I just am not sure whose children it was made for. Certainly no self-respecting, card-carrying child I know!

If they HAD to remake "My Favorite Martian", why didn't they add some of the timeless charm of the original classic?

Unfortunately, IMDB.com cannot factor in "zero" as a rating for its readers, that is the only rating that comes to mind in describing this travesty.

One good thing did come from this movie, the actors and crew were paid - I think.

This movie gets a lot of bad lip, what do people expect. This is a Disney movie (with a PG??) rating.

Doesn't score high on originality nor depth of plot. It's just good clean fun for the whole family. And it does have a couple of good laughs.

The Martian character has been transposed into our time, not the well-mannered 1960's Martian.

On the absolute downside... Elizabeth Hurley obviously has neither shame nor acting abilities (at least they are well hidden).

I grew up watching the original TV series in the sixties and one thing that I can tell you right away, there is NO comparison. This film was totally ridiculous with a flying suit that was alive. A martian that took different shapes. Special effects that looked like something that a little child would create. In contrast, in the original, characters were developed and the viewers developed a feeling for Tim and Uncle Martin. The only highlight in this film, yes, actually there was one, occurred when Ray Walston finally made an appearance at the end. He wore dark glasses and made references to living on this planet for 30 years as a sort of homage to the TV series. But even the real Uncle Martin could not save this turkey.

This movie tries hard, but completely lacks the fun of the 1960s TV series, that I am sure people do remember with fondness. Although I am 17, I watched some of the series on YouTube a long time ago and it was enjoyable and fun. Sadly, this movie does little justice to the series.

The special effects are rather substandard, and this wasn't helped by the flat camera-work. The script also was dull and lacked any sense of wonder and humour. Other films with under-par scripting are Home Alone 4, Cat in the Hat, Thomas and the Magic Railroad and Addams Family Reunion.

Now I will say I liked the idea of the story, but unfortunately it was badly executed and ran out of steam far too early, and I am honestly not sure for this reason this is something for the family to enjoy. And I was annoyed by the talking suit, despite spirited voice work from Wayne Knight.

But the thing that angered me most about this movie was that it wasted the talents of Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Daniels and Daryl Hannah, all very talented actors. Jeff Daniels has pulled off some good performances before, but he didn't seem to have a clue what he was supposed to be doing, and Elizabeth Hurley's character sadly came across as useless. Daryl Hannah is a lovely actress and generally ignored, and I liked the idea of her being the love interest, but sadly you see very little of her,(not to mention the Monster attack is likely to scare children than enthrall them) likewise with Wallace Shawn as some kind of government operative. Christopher Lloyd acquits himself better, and as an actor I like Lloyd a lot(he was in two of my favourite films Clue and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and I am fond of Back To The Future) but he was given little to work with, and had a tendency to overact quite wildly.

Overall, as much I wanted to like this movie, I was left unimpressed. Instead of being fun, it came across as pointless, and that is a shame because it had a lot of potential, with some talented actors and a good idea, but wasted with poor execution. 1/10 Bethany Cox

I thought that My Favorite Martian was very boring and drawn out!! It was not funny at all. The audience just sat through the whole movie and didn't laugh at all!!! Not even the kids laughed!! That is sad for a Disney movie!! I thought they could have found somebody better to play the martian rather than Christopher Lloyd!! He was really stupid!! And he was not funny!! I thought the talking suit was really dumb!!! In the original television series the suit doesn't talk and move around!! In my opinion they should not have wasted their time on this movie!! I give it two thumbes down!! Really a waste of time and I would not recommend the movie to anybody!!! Thank You!!

I had not seen the TV series for 30 years or so, but I had fond memories of it--I think Ray Walston could have played martin in this one(he does a cameo), still. Christopher Lloyd did his schtik--which I usually love and played him a little more "wacky". Elizabeth Hurley was her delicious self, while Daryl Hannah tried to play the "innocent" at age 40! This was a little raunchy for a Disney flick, but overall it was OK.

After seeing the movie, I caught a re-run of the old show and appreciated how funny it really was.

I have never seen the My Favorite Martian TV series so I have no frame of reference, which seems to be what let most of the reviewers here down. Well, far from being perfect, My Favorite Martian is a terrifically funny movie for all its worth. Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Daniels bounce off each other hilariously, and Elizabeth Hurley makes a hilarious supporting role as a snobbish reporter whose dad runs the TV studio.

You know the gist of the plot - a Martian lands on Earth and winds up in the home of a struggling reporter, who becomes conflicted on whether or not to expose him.

That's all there is to it, really. There is a lot of comedy and romance. All these reviews are way, WAY too harsh! I love intelligent movies as much as the next man and I can't stand overly brainless junk, but this movie really is neither; it's wedged far inbetween. My Favorite Martian is an innocent, fun flick with a lot of humour that makes me, a 25-year old man, laugh a lot at. Think of it as Rocketman's less-wacky little brother and you're on the right track.

The folks at Disney have a lot to explain. First and foremost, why anyone thought this lesser-sitcom material would ever make even a half-decent motion picture. In the kooky 60's teleplay, the unique idea of Martians among us had not yet been given the sophisticated X-Files treatment. Quaint visions of little green men have long since been dispelled by the likes of E.T., CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and ALIENS 1-3.

Any charm the property had was mainly due to the endearing relationship created between the late Bill Bixby as Tim and Ray Walston as the unworldly visitor. The conceit that Martians have antenna seemed dopey back then. Now it seems positively idiotic. Yet, Christopher Lloyd's Uncle Martin sports the metallic appendages. In an early shot, the antenna on a sign for the TV station Tim works at is supposed to make us think "martian"! When's the last time you saw a TV with rabbit ears, eh?

Disney doesn't trust quaint or relationships and crams this flick with youth-wooing special effects that include a talking space suit named Zoot! Yes, you read that correctly - Uncle Martin's silver space suit speaks. He is supposed to be a real hilarious cut-up! Figure again. I got stretch socks that are funnier than Zoot. Whenever the action lags (and it lags constantly), computer graphics are put into play to liven things up. Tim is here played by the amiable Jeff Daniels, who can't (or won't) do anything to save this floudering mess. Zesty Christine Ebersole brings some comic zeal to her neighbor lady role. Even Ray Walston himself is dragged painfully into the procedings - all to no avail. This alien visitor is dead on arrival.

Constant talk of sitcoms turning to screen makes me only hope that the I DREAM OF JEANNIE movie won't feature a talking harem outfit. I pray that Samantha's cat in the movie BEWITCHED doesn't have lines. I live in fear that I LOVE LUCY - THE MOVIE will proudly feature a CG Conga Drum named Bongo.

Paging Michael Eisner! Mickey Mouse - take me to your leader.

My Favorite Martian was gonna be like many others I thought. But they found new ways to do things. Like the talking suit, that was a new thing and not bad at all. You also got to see a few different aliens, which I thank them for. Mostly they never like show you anything of what they look like. All the aliens take human form when they come to earth and you never get too see "their real selves", but in this one you do. So I like My Favorite Martian very much. Disney has made two good "kid sci-fi movies" in the last year. First it was the superb Rocketman and now this one. Keep ´em comin´! My Favorite Martian get like 8.5 from me.

I saw this bomb when it hit theaters. I laughed the whole time. Why? Because the stupidity of it seemed to have made me go insane. I look back on it and realize there was not ONE funny thing in the whole movie. At leat nothing intentional. It IS awfully funny that Lizzie cn chew a piece of Nurplex and become a gigantic, carnivorous demon...yet her itty-bitty little dress is perfectly intact, despite the fact that she is now hundreds of times larger than she was when she first put it on. Or the kind of movie in which a man can be shocked with a defibulator and only fall unconcious, and return to conciousness without ANY medical attention. And don't let me get started on the ridiculous fate of the "villain" that they decided they needed to create "conflict." Uh huh.

To the person complaining about Disney only targetting kids-The raunchy parts of this film seems to disprove that statement. Do we really need Daryl Hannah accusing Jeff Bridges of having kinky video tapes? You do if you're Disney and you're out of ideas for making the movie appeal to the above-8 crowd without writing a more intelligent script! I am thoroughly convinced that Disney pays off the ratings board so it's movies can get away with murder and still get family-friendly ratings.

What a waste of the DVD format.

Out of the sky it came, like a spaceship itself. I remember the ads for it. I remembering thinking it had a great cast and great potential in this time of lousy Disney films. And then it landed on earth in the form of a movie. "My Favorite Martian". I waited till it came out on video, rented it, and watched it. And then it was over.

I wasn't exactly disappointed, but I was a bit let down. It has a lot of talent, a lot of material, and an okay outcome. It took some heat upon its release, but it really wasn't that bad. It was a bit less than I expected, but it was still entertaining.

It stars Jeff Daniels (''Dumb and Dumber''), as a TV producer named Tim O'Hara. One day he views a space ship come out of the atmosphere and watches it crash in front of him. As he investigates, a martian appears. The martian (Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd) assumes the name Uncle Martin (get it, "Martin," "Martian"?). Tim takes Uncle Martin and his space suit, named Zoot, (which/who becomes a character itself/himself/herself) back to his home. But what Tim doesn't know is that Uncle Martin and Zoot are capable of instant shape-shifting, and depending on what color of extraterrestrial gumball they're chewing, Martin (and the humans) can turn into a variety of monsters. This film could seriously boost the sales of chewing gum to young children, preferably young boys between the ages of 6-12. But back on subject now...

Along with this tale (loosely based on the 1960s television show by the same name) is a sappy love story. Tim is in love with a reporter named Brace (Elizabeth Hurley). The romance is put on hold at separate times during the film, and so we never truly get a handle on the whole bit. Tim is in love with Brace one moment, Lizzie (Daryl Hannah), his technician, the next moment. Call it romance. Call it love. Call it manipulating the audience.

The villains are all government scientists, led by Coleye (as in "e. coli"), a government-something-or-other who is seemingly mystified and obsesses with martians. Coleye is played by Wallace Shawn, whose film credits include "The Princess Bride" and "Toy Story." I've always admired him on-screen because he is a small screen presence, yet at the same time a strong one. He rarely plays a leading man, and in the rare ocassion he does, the film is a flop (see a film of his where his kid rents a new father). Wallace Shawn is one of the most underrated yet distinguished co-stars out there, and he demands just as much credit as the other actors on board, since he does very well with his character, who chases Tim and ''Uncle Martin'' because he wants to prove there is intelligent life on other planets. Uncle Martin, on the other hand, only wants to lay low, be friends with Tim and Lizzie, repair his spaceship and go home. Then he discovers ice cream, and all he wants to do is eat ice cream. (The side effects of ice cream are like alcohol to our bodies; Uncle Martin runs around and wrecks the ice cream shop, completely intoxicated. Must be the sugar-rush in the vanilla and chocolate.) In fact, the scene where Martin wrecks the ice cream shop was shown many times on the TV spots and trailers, and it made the film look more promising than the outcome.

There are some good moments in ''My Favorite Martian,'' including the ice cream shop segment. It looks as if everyone who made this film had a lot of fun. Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Daniels are cheery and happy the whole way through, which may be a good enough reason to see this film. But as I watch it, I can't help but compare it to other family films I've seen that are so many times more compelling, interesting and smart than "My Favorite Martian." But if you are looking for pure entertainment...you've found it.

For the first time in about 13 years, I sat down to see this movie which I had not seen since elementary school. Unfortunately, the 25 cents I spent on a VHS copy at the local thrift shop was wasted. well, maybe not, that 25 cents will go to feed some poor guy.

My favorite martian is based upon the TV series from the early 60's, starring Christopher Lloyd as uncle martin, and Jeff Daniels as Tim O'Hara. Tim O'Hara is a news reporter who is paired up with the station manager's daughter, a spoilt brat. One night, Tim witnesses a UFO crash and brings the only evidence home - a shrunken UFO. The UFO's driver sneaks into his car invisibly, and makes Tim's life a living hell for a little while.

Now admittedly, there are some good jokes and one-liners lying around in this movie, but they're few and far between, and they only get a chuckle out of me personally. and if you know the writers (Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver, who both worked on Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs) They definitely could've done a lot better.

My favorite person throughout the whole thing was Wallace Shawn, who plays coleye, a scientist who is as weird as his voice. You might recognize the voice from the Toy story movies, as Rex.

This movie failed where it's appeal was aimed. They were trying to appeal to the adults that watched the series back in the 60's but were also trying to appeal to kids with the blatant toilet humor, but remember the old proverb - if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

4/10