Mars Attacks! (1996) Review

Title: Mars Attacks
Year: 1996
Director: Tim Burton
Country: US
Language: English

My favorite alien design comes from Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! I just love their miniature stature, giant brains, cute alien suits, retro-inspired weaponry, screechy "ack-grack" voices and their downfall being terrible yodeling music. Industrial Light and Magic, led by Ellen Poe, were instrumental in the design of these iconic characters. 

It is a normal day for everyone, until President of the United States James Dale (Jack Nicholson) announces Martians have been spotted circling Earth. 

Mars Attacks! is a nihilistic film that has very cynical take on the Hollywood blockbuster. Recognizable star protagonists are blasted into dust - and there is no thrilling action sequence in which the aliens get their comeuppance. Nearly every scene features incompetent humans finding themselves in catastrophic situations due to their incompetence. Everybody in power is a complete buffoon and we find no heroism in them trying to defend corrupt institutions. 

While the film has a lot of pacing, writing and editing issues. Mars Attacks! proves to be a lot of fun because it goes against the grain. It is a chaotic picture; juvenile rebellion disguised as sci-fi horror. I commend the film for its incredible set design, spectacular effects and inspired art direction. 

A satire of low budget sci-fi movies of the 1950's, Burton was successful in recreating the Ed Wood Planet 9 From Outer Space type of picture. Upon release Mars Attacks! was not a commercial or critical success, but it is very rightfully a cult classic.