DVD Reviews

Mars Attacks! - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Sep 8, 2010, 10:13 GMT

AWAKE, EARTHLINGS! It’s later than you think. Don’t miss the hilarious frenzy as Tim Burton directs – and Mars Attacks! SEE! Stars that shine across the galaxy. Jack Nicholson (in a dual role), Glenn close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito and a dozen more! SHRIEK! At mean, green ivaders armed with insta-fry ray guns, endowed with slimy, humongous brains – and enlivened with state-of-the-art special effects. GASP! As the ...more

The summer of 1996 saw two alien invasion flicks, Independence Day and Mars Attacks!, dueling for clout at the box office. Independence Day would be out of the gate first and dominated the box office. Mars would be second out of the gate and suffer for it, although it was a burning cow of a different color.

The red planet Mars has sent an invasion force of little green men. In Washington, D.C., President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) and his administration, lecherous press secretary Jerry Ross (Martin Short), scientific advisor Professor Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan), and meek Lt. General Casey (Paul Winfield), want to make some positive press thinking that the Martians come in peace.

Hawkish General Decker (Rod Steiger) thinks that they should nuke them immediately. The President overrides Decker and the Martians indicate that they’ll be landing in Pahrump, Nevada and the President sends Casey to greet them.

First Lady Marsha Dale (Glenn Close, in Nancy Reagan mode) is more concerned about redecorating the White House and First Daughter Taffy (Natalie Portman) is tired of being ignored by her parents.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, loopy real estate developer Art Land (Nicholson again) thinks that the alien invaders will need a place to stay and his latest hotel is just the place. His wife Barbara (Annette Benning) is a recovering alcoholic that has embraced new age philosophy and sees the Martians as harbingers of a new peaceful age. Retired boxer Byron Williams (Jim Brown) works the casino as a host, but is only concerned with getting to D.C. and his ex-wife Louise (Pam Grier) and his sons.

Meanwhile in Kansas, thoughtful Richie Norris (Lucas Haas) watches the Martians with curiosity while his hillbilly family, Dad (Joe Don Baker), Mom (O-lan Jones), and brother Billy-Glen (Jack Black), prepare to defend their trailer and television against the invading horde.

Richie is more concerned with his senile grandmother (Sylvia Sydney) who is the only member of his family that likes him. The media, represented by GNN reporter Jason Stone (Michael J. Fox) and ditzy talk show host Natalie Lake (Sarah Jessica Parker), also eagerly await the Martians. When they do arrive they don’t exactly come in peace.

Quirky director Tim Burton adapts the Topps trading card series that combined dark humor with invading alien hordes right out of 1950 (ironically I just reviewed Forbidden Planet). Burton continues that theme and sets his film in a fantasyland that seems like modern times but everyone seems straight out of those sci-fi 50s films.

Burton peoples his cast with many A-list faces… then finds ways to kill most of them. He even casts Nicholson twice, but Jack does better in the role of the legacy-minded President than he does as the wacky real estate mogul.

It might’ve been better if he’d not done the dual role as it seems a bit much, especially since they don’t do much to hide the fact that it’s Jack in both roles. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but it doesn’t help the film.

Burton does seem a perfect match to direct a film where Slim Whitman plays a major role in the saving of our planet. Speaking of music, Burton regular Danny Elfman also channels the 50s in his Theremin utilizing fantastic score.

For fans of the 50s sci-fi genre, and surely Burton is one, Mars Attacks is a treat. Burton fans will surely eat its cheesy goodness up.

Mars Attacks is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.40:1). Sadly, there are no special features. Not even a trailer.

Mars Attacks may have lost the box office battle, but Burton fans should eat it up. The transfer looks decent enough, but the lack of special features may be a deal breaker. I would’ve loved a director’s commentary that might’ve explained the reasoning behind the dual Jacks. Since other Burton films have been graced with such I’m not sure why the stuff from the DVDs didn’t even get ported over.