Mars Attacks! (1996)

This is one of these movies you absolutely like or absolutely dislike. I liked it, sure. It's such a sarcastic view of America: its people, its government, its army, its television, its culture, everything and everyone falls under Tim Burton's incredible axe. Many talented stars gather for an incredible script. It is unbelievably funny, absurd and full of contradictions and nuttiness. It's like a mixture of Star Wars, Animaniacs and the Clockwork Orange. For sure, you will like it a lot and believe it is the best movie you have ever seen or you won't understand a thing and feel disappointed. If you like Jim Carrey or Brad Pitt, please go and choose another movie.

Fmovies: What a wild movie! I've begun to appreciate this more and more with multiple viewings. I think it's Tim Burton's most underrated film. Unlike many of his previous films, this seems pretty impartial when it comes to the satire: everyone gets it here, not just the usual Christians. Here, New Ange devotees and Liberal advisers and generals are also made to look stupid. This is probably one reason the national critics - who are overwhelming Left Wing - didn't like this movie. They weren't used to the same abuse some of us put up with all the time.

Politics aside, this is one funny movie. It's a combination of science fiction, drama and comedy. It's a parody of the 1950s flying saucer films except it has 1990s color and good special-effects. Burton was a fan of those corny '50s sci-fi films so he made his own!

The story quickly moves from one character to another, from the low-key President of the U.S. played by an unusually-reserved Jack Nicholson to the wacky New Ager Annette Benning to Martin Short with his goofy smile....well, there are so many characters here - most of them completely whacked - it's too many to mention. The diversity of these people and the subtle humor in which they are all presented is just as much fun to watch as the special-effects. The Martians are a real hoot. They have to be seen to be believed.

I didn't like all the characters but, most people won't either. For me, showing elderly people as senile (Sylvia Sidney's role) is mean-spirited; Rod Steiger has the stereotypical war-mongering General is getting tiresome and the obvious politically-correct role for Jim Brown also went overboard.

All in all, however, this is about as entertaining a film as I have ever found, nd one that gets more enjoyable with each viewing.....which is why I rate it so high.

Okay, so what do you get when you take War of the Worlds, Earth vs the Flying Saucers, Independence Day, and combine that with the mind of the director of Ed Wood, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands who grew up watching those types of movies? The result is Mars Attacks!, a sci- fi parody with an all-star cast; Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Paul Winfield, Annette Bening, Rod Steiger, Natalie Portman, Lisa Marie, Glenn Close, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, and Jack Nicholson!!

Oh yes, this movie has stars a-plenty! This movie has more stars on Earth than you see in space!

This movie is one that you either love or hate. I love it! Though there are reasons why I rated it 9 stars rather than 10. One reason is because a lot of the characters I wanted to see live don't survive. Hell, one of my favourite characters dies very early on.

If this was another movie, the dated CG would've made me dock another star. But for the type of movie it is and for the genre it's spoofing, the now-poor CG works. In the '50s and '60s alien invader films that this makes fun of, the effects were dated in 1996 (strings visible that hold up the saucers, aliens obviously people in suits, etc). As a result, the effects in here being dated now unintentionally harks back to the dated effects of the '50s and '60s.

One very interesting scene is when one of the buildings in Vegas is destroyed. In real life, that building was actually scheduled to be demolished! Tim Burton got permission to film the demolition of the Landmark Hotel and Casino from multiple angles and it's demolition was used in the film so when you it destroyed in the movie, it was actually destroyed (though no one was actually inside.).

My mom told me that she saw this in the theatre and that it was the most terrifying movie she'd ever seen. Goes to show that Mars Attacks! isn't for everyone.

So if you like Tim Burton, alien invader films, sci-fi comedies or even all three, definitely give this film a watch.

Also, keep an eye out for the meat packing tycoon from Ed Wood, one of Burton's earlier films. He plays an investor in this film too.

Mars Attacks! fmovies. The greatest aspect of _Mars Attacks!_ is that it is not supposed to be great. The film was shot on a low budget, and many of the crew, namely actors Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito, and director, Tim Burton, agreed to make the film as an homage to the TOPS Bubblegum wrapper comic series.

The film works because it doesn't present itself as being more than what it is: a parody of '50's B-films. Throughout the film, obvious references to those B-film classics, like _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ and _This Island Earth_, are present. When the Martians land in Nevada (alleged home of Area 54), Burton reminds us of those famous scenes in which the U. S. army battles the aliens with crude artillery, matched against the sophisticated ray guns of their adversaries. Because the sci-fi B-films of the '50's were infused with anxiety, precipitated by the McCarthy era, Burton plays upon this context when the Martians visit Congress and destroy every senator and representative in attendance ("We still have 2 out of 3 branches of government working for us," President Nicholson reminds his fellow Americans).

Aside from the riotous parodying which takes place, the film draws upon a cast of Oscar-nominated talent. However, realizing their true motivation for such a film as _Mars Attacks!_, Oscar nominees Glenn Close, Annette Bening, and Jack Nicholson camp it up. Immediately, an audience member acknowledges that these actors know the Academy will not reward them for their efforts in this film. However, an informed audience member would see that their acting, meant to be campy and hammed up, is at the heart of their performances. Given the fact that these are award-winning actors acting poorly, any viewer would have to applaud the performances as "sheer talent-less."

I give this film 9 out of 10 points. While not a great film, by any stretch of the imagination, it is a fun film which fulfills its purpose. Nicholson, DeVito, and Burton can be pleased with the results of their desire to bring the famous TOPS story to the screen. In an age in which Hollywood either promotes lavishly expensive, high-tech scripts or promotes artistic plot-driven storylines, _Mars Attacks!_ finds its own place and does not put on the facade of being something other than it is, an homage and revival of the classic '50's sci-fi B-film.

As someone stated before, with tremendous accuracy, Mars Attacks! is one of those movies in which you rarely encounter a mid term: either you love it or you hate it.

Personally, I have to say that I stand on the "loved it" part. Mars Attacks! is great entertainment at it's best, and Tim Burton did an incredibly good job, as usual. One of the things that seems to bother me the most is that some people may not understand the purpose and the message of the film: it's mission is to spoof all those action and Sci-fi movies that abound on clichés and laughable scenes; in which Independence Day is one clear example. Independence Day is bad, relies too much on SFX, and abuse the audience's sanity, believing us to be fools. This is the idea that Jonathan Gemes (screenwriter) and Tim Burton(director) had in mind.

Also one high point of the movie is it's main attraction to it's cast: Box Office names like Jack Nicholson; Glenn Close; Danny DeVito; Pierce Brosnan; Sarah Jessica Parker; Michael J Fox; (th great) Natalie Portman; Lukas Haas; Jack Black; Pam Grier and Annette Bening, all of them come together, representing a part of society and social status that they spoof themselves. The special effects are also a funny part, because some of them are very well achieved and some of them are really cheesy: that's their purpose.

Anyway, much more shouldn't be said, since Mars Attacks! is one of those films that you have to see for yourself, and ultimately evaluate. 9 ou of 10

When I first saw this in the theater with my granddaughter, we both found to be pretty lame and disappointing, but not without some wit to it. Since then, it's been on the cable channels multiple times, and I always find myself watching it again. I really hate to admit it, but this thing has really grown on me - so much so that I finally bought the DVD.

When I first saw it, I wouldn't have given it more than a 4 out of 10, but after repeated viewings, I now give it a 9. I can't really say why, and I certainly can't justify it in any rational sense, but it all just works for me. The wry wit, the blatant social and political commentary, I find it all immensely satisfying.

My confession's over, I'll do my penance. But I have to also say that my granddaughter's opinion of it has never wavered. She considers this movie as evidence of my incipient senility...