MARS ATTACKS (1996)
Director: Tim Burton
Warner Bros.
A truly memorable film always has an unforgettable opening scene to set the tone for the rest of the story. Nothing sticks out quite as much in the mind as a stampeding herd of spooked cattle running hell for leather down a country road with their backsides on fire as a flying-saucer heads for the sky. Welcome to the chaos of
Mars Attacks, Tim Burton’s over-the-top kitschy sci-fi spoof that deals with sadistic big-brained martians coming to planet Earth.
When one thinks of Tim Burton and his daringly original cinematic masterpieces, it’s all to easy to gush over such well loved films like
Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Big Fish and many others, but
Mars Attacks is one of his works that is likely to be the least revisited.
What is blatantly apparent about this film is that Tim Burton has a wicked sense of humour and he pulls out all the stops to ensure that his audience gets a kick out of it as much as he does.
Mars Attacks is a buffet of non-stop witty carnage that constantly pokes fun at the world at large to hilarious effect. Boasting an all-star cast too numerous to mention, Burton seems to delight in ‘vaporising’ his Hollywood pals when the viewer would least expect it.
Remember to snap up this truly wacky movie the next time you and the rabble from your share house are down at the video store.
- Review by Jordan Bloomer
Here's the trailer: