Review of Mars Attacks!

Introduction

In 1996, the big summer blockbuster movie involved a seemingly unstoppable alien invasion of earth. They came in a giant fleet of saucers and laid waste to our cities, preyed on our populace and were only defeated by the innovative weaponry devised by one man. There was another small, low budget movie called Independence Day.

O.K That`s not the way it actually happened, but for my money Mars Attacks is the better movie. ID4 had the big budget effects, the plucky humans battling against an implacable foe, outstanding action sequences and a suitably gung-ho ending. Don`t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, it was fun but there were two major problems, the clichéd characters and it`s interminability. Mars Attacks, on the other hand was blessedly short, coming to just over an hour and forty minutes, it was also funny. It had a story that managed to subvert the genre and entertain.

Video

The disc is a single sided and single layered one. Visually it is the expected anamorphic transfer, no problems to my eye. I must make mention of the sumptuous visual design of this film. The whole picture has a retro feel. All technological equipment has a fifties feel, especially the loudspeakers used for public address, the antique looking televisions, the vehicles and my favourite, the translation computer. It has a very Lost in Space look, with buttons and knobs and even a spool of tape. All sound is expressed on an oscilloscope of all things. The furnishings are also very flowery and chintzy, it feels as if you`ve stepped through a time warp. The Martians are also an example of glorious design. They have a comic book feel yet hide a hint of menace. Their ships hark back to classic flying saucer design. When a ship lands in front of Congress you expect Gort to appear (Klaatu Barada Nikkto). The effects are flawless. I was impressed by the two colour rayguns leaving skeletons of those colours. This is of course the era of CGI and it`s rare to see the joins.

Audio

Sound is a DD 5.1 track, again as you would expect. The soundtrack by Danny Elfman is suitably eerie. The explosions and such are adequately rendered. It did appear to me that Tom Jones number was unusually subdued, but that may have been just me. One thing though, you`ll never think of Slim Whitman`s yodelling in quite the same way again.

Features

Don`t expect a whole load of extras here. There is a music only audio track, which I haven`t listened to. You get production notes and cast filmographies. Note that on the back of the case you can see two trailers on the menu screen. Only one trailer is actually on the disc however. It`s a shame, but a Tim Burton commentary would be one I would really be interested in.

Conclusion

Mars Attacks reminds me why Tim Burton is such a good director, an essential reminder after the mess that was 2001`s Planet of the Apes. The plot is standard fare. Martians invade the earth, generally making a mess and heroic actions on the part of an individual save the day. What makes this different is the humour. From the moment you see the stampede of flaming cows, you know that you are in for a laugh riot. There is a stellar cast, Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tom Jones, Rod Steiger and Michael J. Fox among many others. Because, the film is short, it doesn`t have time to develop the characters, but since it is a comedy, the use of stereotypes is more appropriate. Jack Nicholson has a dual role as the president and as a sleazy Vegas businessman. His president is adequately presidential, though remarkably stupid, not listening to his military advisor and relying on his spin doctors to get the speeches right. The sleazy businessman is equally stupid, more concerned about his next venture than what`s going on around him. Disturbingly he looks astoundingly like Burt Reynolds. Jack Nicholson does what he does best and puts his expressive face to good use. He`s always a joy to watch. Glenn close plays the first lady and Natalie Portman their daughter. Pierce Brosnan takes a break from Bonding and puts in a turn in as a well-meaning scientist (Lawnmower Man anyone?) He repeatedly counsels the Martians good intentions despite contrary evidence and ends up dissected on a Martian table but his head is still aware. Sarah Jessica Parker plays a ditzy daytime TV host who is captured whilst covering the Martian landing. She ends up having a body transplant with her dog. Danny DeVito appears as a slimy lawyer in Vegas, meets a suitable fate at the hands of the Martians, you just have to cheer. Tom Jones puts in an Oscar winning performance as Tom Jones, who provides one of the most memorable endings to a movie. The day is of course saved, in this case it is only the teenagers who keep their heads. Jim Brown and Pam Grier`s children pick up some rayguns at the White House and save the President whilst literally playing space invaders. Lukas Haas (Witness) with the aid of his Grandmother find the Martian`s Achilles heel and saves the world. Natalie Portman (The Phantom Menace) ends up as President by proxy and keeps the free world in order at the end of the movie. I only list a few of the characters in this film, there is so much that happens in this film that I have only scratched the surface.

Overall this is an excellent movie filled with memorable moments. From the Martian attack on Earth, bowling on Easter Island, tormenting scouts with the Washington monument, blowing up the Taj Mahal for a Kodak moment, to the Martian response to a nuclear attack. Rod Steiger`s "annihilate, kill kill!". Jack Nicholson`s "Why can`t we all, just get along?", Lisa Marie`s eerie otherworldly call girl with a monumental beehive and finally Tom Jones idyllic return to nature at the conclusion of the film. My only, small gripe is that there is so much going on in this film that characters` stories tend to get lost in the narrative. Perhaps losing a few characters to strengthen the remaining ones would have rendered a more cohesive story. But as I said that is a miniscule fault in a gem of a film. I highly recommend this one or to paraphrase Danny DeVito`s character, "It ain`t unusual to fall in love with this film"