This neglected Tim Burton movie is criminally underrated. Here’s why you need to watch it now
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the latest in a long line of Tim Burton projects that also serve as a reminder of how long he’s been working in Hollywood. Over the course of his long career, Burton has made some of the greatest and most insane films of all time, including the original Beetlejuice and Batman, among others. Among the many titles of his that are often cited as among his best efforts, though, there is one lesser-seen movie that is worthy of more consideration.
Mars Attacks! is based on the Topps trading card series of the same name, and the 1996 film tells the story of a group of people all over America who are forced to respond when Martians invade Earth. It wasn’t universally beloved at the time, and it’s not well remembered as one of Burton’s best films, but it’s worth reconsideration. Here are three reasons you should check it out, especially if you love the gonzo stylings of Beetlejuice and its sequel.
It’s Tim Burton at his absolute silliest
Tim Burton can make very serious, introspective movies, but at his heart, he’s a pretty silly dude. And he lets the silliness out in Mars Attacks! The result is one of the more fun alien invasion movies you’re ever likely to see. Mars Attacks! came out the same year as Independence Day, and while there’s nothing wrong with the bombast and self-importance of that film, Mars Attacks! seems to exist almost as a counterexample.
Even as it leans into the silliness of its premise, though, Mars Attacks! is also a pretty smart satire about how stupid mankind is. After initially believing that these martians come in peace, we pretty quickly change our tune and wind up blowing up much of Washington, D.C. with nuclear warheads. Along the way, we meet an array of idiots and morons, all of whom seem incapable of saving either each other or themselves.
It features not one, but two great Jack Nicholson performances
Given that Mars Attacks! is fundamentally a pretty broad comedy, it’s almost shocking how many talented actors are in the movie. Jack Nicholson’s performance takes the cake, though, both because of his legendary status and because he plays two roles in the film. The first is that of the president of the United States, who must assess the threat these Martians pose and determine how to respond. The second is as Art Land, the owner of a Las Vegas casino who has a much smaller role, and is therefore an opportunity for Jack to go as big as he wants.
On top of Nicholson, though, the cast also includes The Deliverance‘s Glenn Close, Michael J. Fox, Annette Bening, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jim Brown, Danny DeVito, Pierce Brosnan, a young Jack Black, and many other famous faces. This huge ensemble cast is perfectly in line with the movie’s over-the-top tone, and they all sync beautifully.
It has wonderful practical effects
One of the great failings of the second half of Tim Burton’s career is that he simply fell in love with CGI. The first half of his career, though, is filled with practical effects that are delightfully precisely because they don’t look nearly as real. Mars Attacks! is the pinnacle of that effects works, given that the aliens themselves are all stop-motion creatures that feel like they came straight out of Burton’s head.
To its credit, Mars Attacks! owns its retro aesthetic, and the practical effects feel like the perfect throwback to an earlier era of big-budget filmmaking. Everything holds up beautifully, and that’s because it was done by craftspeople who were working at the top of their games.
Rent or buy Mars Attacks! on Amazon Prime Video.
