Mars Attacks

The movie was critically panned on release with 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an IMDB score of 6.4. But personally I rate this as one of my favorites to date.

For one the ensemble cast of Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Close, Jack Nicholson, Annette Being, Michael J Fox, Rod Steiger, Sarah Jessica Parker, all having a total blast.

Be it Jack Nicholson’s double turn as the US President and a shady casino owner.

Annette Bening as a ditzy, naive peacenik, who welcomes the Aliens.

Pierce Brosnan as an intellectual, analyst kind.

And of course the funky aliens themselves, a spoof of all those Alien invasion movies over the decades.

The movie was meant to be a parody of all the standard sci-fi tropes, and Tim Burton IMO pulls it off quite well. Take the standard trope of Aliens destroying everything on earth ala Independence Day, Burton here makes that scene one fun ride, as in the shot, where they knock over the statues on Easter Island like 9 pins in a bowling game. Yes the way the aliens are destroyed, looks so stupid, but then this was meant to be so.

And the movie was one great satire that does not spare anything or anyone- Alien invasion movies, White House, naive Peaceniks, the US military establishment, the average “Patriotic” American, Tim Burton just lets go all the way.

If you are looking for some real good ole fashioned fun, just want to laugh your blues off, or relax, this is one good choice. Go for it.