Review of Mars Attacks! (1996) by Caleb H — 19 May 2012

The first third of Mars Attacks plays like Tim Burton's lousy attempt to recreate an Irwin Allen disaster film-a bunch of bland, broad caricatures are introduced and defined solely by their reactions to the impending aliens.

Than the Martians-who sound like demonic ducks and resemble testicle-headed skeletons-arrive, and the whole thing turns into an incredibly violent black comedy; a blatant slap-in-the-face to studio decree that you can't kill off a bunch of A-List stars in the same movie.

If watching a bunch of giggling, maniacal aliens killing anyone and everyone is your thing, than Mars Attacks won't disappoint you. While the first third seems like Burton started out trying to make Independence Day, he spends the remainder of the film destroying that feeling.

The latter portion of Mars Attacks is full of style, and Burton's trademark bizarre flourishes. The cast, for the most part, just has to ham it up and occasionally react to the alien carnage. Pierce Brosnan and Sarah Jessica Parker-who eventually wind up as a pair of flirting decapitated heads-get most of the fun material, although I found Annette Bening's hilarious impression of Jane Fonda to be one of the movie's high points.

If you're looking for high art, or something that's broadly amusing, keep looking. Mars Attacks is a niche film and, while it takes awhile to get rolling, for those of us in on the joke, this is a damn fun movie.