Mars Attacks! Review

Mars Attacks!

Release Date: 20th February 1997 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Tim Burton Productions

Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes

Budget: $70,000,000

Box Office Gross: $101,371,017 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A Martian fleet encircles the world's major cities as the human race waits to see if the alien visitors have, as they say, "come in peace." The President of the United States, James Dale, is convinced by the professor of science, Donald Kessler, that the mission of the Martians is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total obliteration of the U.S. Congress, the military calls for a massive nuclear strike.

Cast

Jack Nicholson - President
James Dale/Art Land

Glenn Close - First Lady Marsha Dale

Annette Bening - Barbara Land

Pierce Brosnan - Prof. Donald Kessler

Danny DeVito - Rude Gambler

Martin Short - Press Secretary
Jerry Ross

Sarah Jessica Parker -

Nathalie Lake

Michael J. Fox - Jason Stone

Rod Steiger - General Decker

Tom Jones - Himself

Lukas Hass - Richie Norris

Natalie Portman - Taffy Dale

Jim Brown - Byron Williams

Lisa Marie - Martian Girl

Sylvia Sidney - Grandma Florence Jenkins

Paul Winfield - General Casey

Pam Grier - Louise Williams

Jack Black - Billy Glenn Norris

Janice Rivera - Cindy, Bryon's Co-Worker

Ray J - Cedric Williams

Brandon Hammond - Neville Williams

Joe Don Baker - Richie's Dad

O-Lan Jones - Sue Ann Norris

Christina Applegate - Sharona

Brian Haley - Mitch, Secret Service Agent

Jerzy Skolimowski - Dr. Zeigler

Timi Prulheire - Tour Guide

Barbet Schroeder - Maurice,
the French President

Chi Hoang Cai - Mr. Lee

Tommy Bush - Hilbilly

Joseph Maher - White House Decorator

Vinny Argiro - Mr. Brian,
Casino Manager

Willie Garson - Corporate Guy

John Roselius - GNN Boss

Michael Reilly Burke - GNN Reporter

Valerie Wildman - GNN Reporter

Rebecca Broussard - Hooker #2

Steve Valentine - TV Director

Enrique Castillo - Hispanic Colonel

John Finnegan - Speaker of the House

Gregg Daniel - Lab Technician

J. Kenneth Campbell - Doctor

Rance Howard - Texas Investor

Frank Welker - Various Martians (Voices)

Crew

Producer/Director - Tim Burton

Based on the Trading Card Series - Len Brown,

Woody Gelman, Wally Wood, Bob Powell

and Norman Saunders

Screen Story/Screenplay - Jonathan Gems

Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Paul Deason

Associate Producer - Mark S. Miller

Producers - Larry J. Franco and

Laurie Parker (Uncredited)

Casting Directors - Victoria Thomas,

Jeanne McCarthy and Matthew Barry

Production Designer - Wynn Thomas

Supervising Art Director - James Hegedus

Art Director - John Dexter

Assistant Art Directors - Jann K. Engel

and Richard Fernandez

Set Decorator - Nancy Haigh

Set Decorator: Washington D.C. - Kathy Lucas

Property Master - Jerry Moss

Assistant Property Masters - Andrew Petrotta,

Maura Moss and Marty Grimes

Costume Designer - Colleen Atwood

Key Makeup Artist - Valli O'Reilly

Makeup Artist: Mr Nicholson - Ve Neill

Hair Stylist: Mr Nicholson - Joy Zapata

Director of Photography - Peter Suschitzky

First Assistant Camera: VistaVision -

Clyde E. Bryan

Stunt Coordinator - Joe Dunne

Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming

Special Effects Supervisor - Michael Lantieri

Design Supervisors: Mackinnon & Saunders

Ltd. - Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders

Visual Effects Supervisors - David Andrews,
Michael L. Fink and Jim Mitchell

Associate Effects Supervisor: ILM - Ellen Poon

Senior Visual Effects Coordinator: ILM - Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Mark Moore

Digital Effects Supervisor: Warner Digital

Studios - Guy Williams

Computer Graphics Supervisors: ILM -

Roger Guyett and Andy White

Computer Graphics Sequence Supervisors:

ILM - Joel Aron, David Horsley,

Barbara Townsend and Ben Snow

Lead Character Animators: ILM -

Chris Armstrong, Kyle Balda, Linda Bel,

Lou Dellarosa and Jenn Emberley

CGI Lead: Saucers, Warner Digital Studios -

Chris Waegner

Model Supervisor: ILM - Charles Bailey

Model Makers: ILM - Eben Stromquist,

Chuck Wiley and Steve Gawley

Miniature Director of Photography: ILM -

Pat Sweeney

Model Supervisor: Acme Models - Michael Joyce

Editor - Chris Lebenzon

First Assistant Editor - Joel Negron

Supervising Sound Editor - Richard Hymns
Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer - Randy Thom

Assistant Sound Designer - Steve Boedekker

Sound Effects Editors - Ken Fischer

and Frank E. Eulner

Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editor - Michael Silvers

Re-Recording Mixer - Gary Summers

Re-Recording Mixer/Music Recordist and

Mixer - Shawn Murphy

Music - Danny Elfman

Music Editors - Bob Badami and

Ellen Segal

Review

MARS ATTACKS! was not Tim Burton's first choice to adapt this trading card game series to the big screen. He was supposed to direct another adaptation of its sister series Dinosaur Attacks! until the success of Jurassic Park and its forthcoming instalment, The Lost World, halted these plans. He switched to produce MARS ATTACKS! However, it was not a commercial success for the director when released in America in the same year as another over-the-top sci-fi flick, Independence Day, outgrossed it. The competition was inevitable, and MARS struggled to attain a few million dollars at the box office, but not quite as hoped by Tim Burton to beat Roland Emmerich for his successful feature when mirrored in terms of success. It remains one of Burton's few overlooked but underrated features. Some people claimed the Destroy All Humans video game series existed because of its minor influence.

Still, the Martians are coming to a black comedy satire that parodies the early alien invasion films like The War of the Worlds. It's noticeable that Burton has been trying to get his comedic touch since Beetlejuice. It isn't the first genre that the director encountered. Elements of classic science-fiction mixed with dark humour created a very imaginative look reminiscent of the B films of the 1950s that deal with these alien apocalypses. These Martians in the movie are undeniably goofy but pose a threat to most of the humans who make poor decisions. The humans were at their utmost selfish and barely redeemed themselves except for some saved at the film's end. It helps that this came after the director's semi-autobiographical movie of Ed Wood and explains a lot of inspiration and detail. He even took some scenic inspiration from Dr. Strangelove from the late Stanley Kubrick, particularly in the war conference room.

Jack Nicholson was the most prominent player as he had a dual role in the feature as the President and as an immoral casino manager. Most noticeable of these other featured actors in supporting roles and cameos include Michael J. Fox (in his last live-screen appearance), Pierce Brosnan, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Sarah Jessica Parker, singer Tom Jones, Martin Short and Glenn Close. Several viewers, including mostly Star Wars fans, may recognise Natalie Portman for her later work other than the divisive prequels and vice versa. They would be surprised that she was among the actors who got a small role in the film, and so is Jack Black when acting as one of the soldiers vaporised by the Martians. The movie's CGI was decent but was certainly out-of-date compared to modern films, and many of its visuals have worked through better quality.

It may not have been the finest hour for Tim Burton and his crew. He can do pictures whenever he wants us to be captivated, which is better than MARS ATTACKS!, even by a long shot. I purposely recommend to all moviegoers that this is a semi-decent film.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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