Tim Burton’s spoof of ’50s sci-fi flicks with an outstanding cast
Shot in 1996 and released at the end of that year, Burton used the Mars Attacks trading cards from the ’60s as the template for his extraterrestrials. The film plays like the Mad magazine version of “Independence Day,” which beat this to the theaters by 5.5 months the same year. Yet Burton said he didn’t know anything about that movie and it was purely coincidental. Aside from the trading cards, “Mars Attacks!” spoofs ’50s flicks like “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “War of the Worlds.”
It bombed domestically and didn’t do much better worldwide (although it was a little more popular in Europe). Either audiences had had their fill after the overlong (and disappointing) “Independence Day” or they found the movie silly and boring; perhaps both. Since then, it has gone on to achieve cult status.
While the idea is great and you can’t beat the production quality of Burton’s movies, it is somewhat disappointing on first watch and dull in ways, particularly the first half. However, there’s so much zany creative energy augmented by the second-to-none cast that it’s worth checking out and works better on repeat viewings. You just have to be in the right mood to appreciate it.
There’s a subversive element with the humans being lampooned while the Martians are having a blast with their conquest. Then you have entertaining bits like the Martians toppling the iconic Easter Island statues like bowling pins, not to mention the amusing commentary on country music in the last act.
As far as the “second-to-none cast” goes, there’s the likes of Jack Nicholson (in a dual role), Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Lukas Haas, Jack Black, Natalie Portman, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Joe Don Baker, Lisa Marie, Christina Applegate, Natalie Portman and several others.
In the beauty department Janice Rivera rises to the fore as Cindy, the casino girl, with nods to Lisa Marie and Applegate. Burton could’ve done better on this front considering the resources.
Lastly, I love how Jim Brown and Tom Jones ultimately become the main protagonists. The former plays an ex-boxer stuck entertaining tourists dressed up as a Pharaoh at a Vegas casino, while the latter amusingly plays himself. If you don’t like the first half, stick around because the movie gains momentum for a superior second half. Or perhaps it’s just a matter of acclimating to Burton’s bizarre style and the world he creates.
It runs 1 hour, 45 minutes, and was shot mostly in DC, Kansas and Las Vegas, but also Inglewood in Los Angeles for the donut shop, etc.
GRADE: B