From the insanely creative and Machiavellian mind of Tim Burton is the oldie but goodie flick Mars Attacks! released on Blu-ray. Some would call it sci-fi, but that label is not without hesitation. Due to the lack of any hints of science in this flick, comedy horror seems like a more appropriate label. After all, it does cameo Jack Black's plumber cleavage, which obviously rests my case.
Memories still linger of watching Mars Attacks! as a wee-little youth and not really getting it. As a much older..ahem..youth..I've realized there's not much you need to get. It's a film that is (for a lack of a better term) stupid. But, it's a sort of intentional stupid. The kind you get when a bunch of geeks decide to make a film with the loose change (aka million dollars) they've got on hand. I believe the technical term is spoof; and this one is pretty great.
During the making of this film, there was a lot of speculation about the caliber of talent signing onto the project. It features a high-power cast, most of whom are still relevant powerhouses in Hollywood today, more than a decade later. Most of the original speculation was based on the assumption that Mars Attacks! seemed like a big waste of time, however the increasing acceptance gathered by this flick over the years seems to prove otherwise. The movie centers around the president of the United States, along with various other characters around the country, trying to figure out a course of action while the presence of a fleet of Martians becomes hostile. Given the film's nature, there's very little cinematic standards that it can be held to. It's an extremely goofy film that does contain some surprisingly intelligent aspects, but overall, feels like one big inside joke.
Among many of the notable figures in the cast are Jack Nicholson as both the President and a sleazy real estate mogul, Micheal J. Fox (remember this gem?) as a cocky reporter, Danny DeVito, as Danny Devito in every other '90s film, and even Sarah Jessica Parker in a role eerily as shallow as the one she would come to play years later. The cast credits read off like a TMZ hit-list, with each actor effectively portraying 2-D characters with a campy gusto. Most of them end up whacked by aliens in this movie, which lends a form of morbid glee to the film.
The real stars of the show however, were the emaciated little green men with giant brains of goo. It's a bit of a strange design concept for martians, but it's not really a huge stretch from the other Hollywood-generated aliens. The difference is these men aren't really scary, but rather immature. Their primitive nature is based on the Topps trading cards that were the inspiration of the movie. The martian language and sense of humor though, is without a doubt Tim Burton. It's devious, sinister, but deliciously juvenile. Who else could utilize duck-quacking as a language or find a practical use for the bee-hive hairstyle?
The introduction of this film to Blu-ray adds a vivid color quality missing from the other formats. The special effects were already a bit cheesy to begin with, but in Blu-ray, the cheesy factor is magnified by 10. It is, however, definitely a plus in that it adds to the goofy and ironic quality of the film.
Watching Mars Attacks! is like dissecting all the faults in the good and bad sci-fi that many people have enjoyed since the 50's, and melting them together to form this ridiculous but hilarious film. As much as I enjoyed it however, it's not film that seems like it would be enjoyable across demographics. It's a movie I had to watch more than once to appreciate, and given its outlandish nature, that's not surprising. It requires a somewhat child-like aspect to the viewer's sense of humor, so it's one of those movies you're either going love or simply just love to hate.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Mars Attacks! on Blu-ray contains no bonus features.
"Mars Attacks!" is on sale September 7, 2010 and is rated PG13. Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller. Directed by Tim Burton. Written by Jonathan Gems. Starring Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Glenn Close, Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan.
