Review of Mars Attacks! (1996) by Andrew L — 29 Jan 2014
Could've been better, but still a great contributuion to the campy B-movies of the '50s. Based off the trading card series of the same name, Mars Attacks! follows the US going to war with Martians, and struggle to beat them.
The film has laughs, but aren't very consistent, even with a talented cast that still give good, funny performances, thanks to writer Jonathan Gems. Director Tim Burton does a good job at respecting the source material by nailing the look of the Martians, as well as adding the quack as their type of speech.
The film is also brought to life by great slecial effects that help with the campy nature, and bizarre occurences throughout. The film follows Burton's style of filmmaking by adding bizarre and creepy scenes, and dark themes to give the film a dark comic feel.
The film is not only dark comic, but also a political satire that pokes fun at declaring war, making peace with the aliens, and deciding what should be done about the disaster unfolding. Composer Danny Elfman, who is also a long-time Burton collaborater, gives a great score that adds tension to the destruction scenes, and an eerie feeling towards the intentions of the Martians.
A worthwhile film, and like other Tim Burton films, hard to like, but this might be an exception. Who knows?
This review of Mars Attacks! (1996) was written by Andrew L on 29 Jan 2014.
Mars Attacks! has generally received mixed reviews.
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