Mars Attacks!: Tim Burton's Loving Homage to '50s Sci-Fi B-Movies Makes Its 4K Debut (4K)

The Film:

Director Tim Burton, a filmmaker who has become quite synonymous with dark & macabre tales, has delivered a number of classics over the decades, including "Batman," "Beetlejuice," "Edward Scissorhands," "Sleepy Hollow," and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." However, despite his reputation for making somewhat dark movies, he has also given us a few lighter projects along the way like "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," "Ed Wood," and "Big Eyes."

An entry in this latter category that always seems to get far less attention than the rest of his popular filmography is the highly-unusual sci-fi comedy "Mars Attacks!," which is basically a send-up of the cheesy sci-fi B-movies of the 1950s. It didn't land very well with the critics, who were unable to appreciate its satire, nor did it do very well at the box office, where it was ultimately a flop. However, the film has managed to find a fanbase over the decades, leading to it achieving a kind of cult status among those who appreciate what Burton was trying to do with his homage. For them, Warner Bros. has decided to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary by giving it a marvelous 4K upgrade, so now it's time to go back and revisit this cult classic to see if it was deserving of the harsh dismissal it received, or if those who embraced it were perhaps the better judges.

The film begins with hundreds of spaceships leaving Mars and heading for Earth. US President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) delivers an address to the people to commemorate the event, while a meeting with the Martians is arranged in Nevada. The Martian ambassador, using a translation device, announces that they have come in peace, but when a dove is released, the ambassador shoots it down and orders his fellow Martians to do the same to the attendees.

Believing the entire ordeal to be a big misunderstanding, President Dale has Professor Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan) arrange for the Martian ambassador to address Congress. However, the same thing happens as before, resulting in most of Congress being vaporized. Despite all of this, President Dale's top general, Decker (Rod Steiger), fails to convince him to use the nuclear option. When a Martian plot to assassinate the President fails, they openly declare war and invade Earth. Will anyone be able to stop them and save the planet?

With "Mars Attacks!," which is actually based on a series of trading cards from the '60s, Tim Burton makes his inspiration quite plain, giving us a film that pays tribute to the classic UFO/alien films of the '50s, including "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers," "Invasion of the Saucer Men," and "Killers from Space." Sure, the film acts as a parody of the genre, but it also acts as a loving homage to it, acknowledging where it came from and how far it's come. It may have somewhat generic Martians flying around in stereotypical flying saucers going through a rather standard invasion plot, but that was kind of the entire point.

It's a kind of tribute that obviously didn't connect with critics, many of whom clearly weren't fans of these types of films in the first place, but for those who were able to appreciate what Burton & screenwriter Jonathan Gems were going for, it made for a fun, goofy, and often wild experience that delivers exactly what it aims to. That's not to mention that half the fun comes from watching the all-star cast, which includes Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Rod Steiger, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, Natalie Portman, Danny DeVito, and Tom Jones, run around in a ridiculously silly plot like this.

By the time the credits roll, you may not have seen anything particularly new, but you'll likely find that you've been entertained the entire time by its campy tale and the incredible ensemble. As mentioned, the film didn't do particularly well in theaters, but it did manage to find a steady fanbase on home video, and now that it's getting a wonderful upgrade to 4K, hopefully it will cause more people to revisit it & give it a second chance, while also giving first-timers the chance to discover another intriguing Burton classic. It's the kind of film that may not fit in with his usual dark persona, but in the end, there's no doubt that it fits in perfectly with his unique & bizarre filmography.

Video/Audio:

"Mars Attacks!" comes to 4K in a 2.35:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality. The picture is beautifully sharp & clear throughout its entire 106-minute runtime, perfectly highlighting its multitude of visual effects & creative designs. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and Danny Elfman's score in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Looking Back on Mars Attacks! (7 Minutes): Members of the creative team reminisce about the film.

Ack! Ack! Aesthetic (11 Minutes): A look behind the scenes at the making of the film.

Conclusion:

Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" is a loving homage to cheesy sci-fi B-movies of the '50s that remains a rather entertaining romp even after 30 years thanks to its ability to relish in its ridiculousness, on top of featuring a stunning all-star cast packed with Oscar & Emmy winners/nominees, ultimately making for a fun, goofy, and wild experience that's very much worth revisiting as it makes its debut on 4K.

Score: 3.5/5

Now available on 4K.

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