Martian Child (rated PG; Feb. 12; ages 10 and older): John Cusack stars as a widower who plans to adopt a little boy from Mars in a message that will confuse smaller children, but should enlighten adults about the real issue of abuse and abandonment. Well-acted, if a bit talky. Grade: B+
The Easter Bunny is Comin’ to Town (not rated; Feb. 19; ages 3-6): The springtime sister to winter’s “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” both Rankin and Bass TV classics, is remastered and, as it was when it originally aired in 1977, is still as cute as a bunny. Fred Astaire leads the voice cast. Grade: A-
It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (not rated; Feb. 19; ages 4-10): The seasonal TV special, first aired in 1974, finds the Peanuts gang getting ready for Easter, while Linus waits for the Easter Beagle. Cute stuff that still holds up. Bonus episode, “It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown,” has the Peanuts gang turning their baseball diamond into a lush garden. Grade: A-
Romeo & Juliet: A Monkey’s Tale (not rated; Feb. 5; ages 5-12): The Shakespearean tragedy is played out in the mountains of Thailand by 2 star-crossed monkeys from rival families. All they want to do is mate, but the opposing clans declare war to keep them apart. Grade: A
– By David Dickstein; Craig Reem contributed “Martian Child.”
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