Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! (1996)
Seen on DVD 15th July 2008

The first what will be MANY Tim Burton movies reviewed on this blog.
A bunch of the regular team is here
- Tim directing
- Danny Elfman composing
- Chris Lebenzon editting
- Collen Atwood designing costumes
Unfortunately there's no Denise Di Novi around for production... and no Depp.

So, this is a GREAT movie. So ridiculous and so star-packed that it almost doesn't even matter what happens, but even so, Burton has come up with a fresh funny and interesting tazke on the "aliens invade earth" story.

STORY: 4.5/7 - (gnack! gnack!)
Aliens have come to earth. The president is an idiot, the national tv coverage is being led by a fashion show, and the aliens have just made the international sign of the donut. PURE GENIUS!

ACTING: 5.5/7 - (JACKIE BROWN!)
Everyone is a brilliantly played caricature of themselves. The overprotective black mother (JACKIE BROWN!), the trailer-park-white-trash family, the ditzy TV presenter, the nerdy proffesor, the hipy woman and even the president of the united states of america! I'm pretty sure Tom Jones was just Tom Jones though.

CINEMATOGRAPHY / VISUAL EFFECTS: 6/7 - (wowza!)
Tim Burton ALWAYS makes brilliant looking films. The smoking green skeletons... the cute looking guns... Sarah Jessica Parkers head on a chihuahua body. Lisa Marie!!

SCORE / SOUND: 6/7 (Elfman - enough said?)
Danny has done a top notch job here as always. It's pretty fun and happy, but dark and brooding when it needs to be. This is probably the most appropriate time to mention the alien's language too. GNACK! GNACK!

SONGS: 2/7 - (Tom Jones)
So i KNOW this isn't a musical... but... It's not unusual to be loved by anyone...



OVERALL RATING: 6/7 (why are they all in their underwear on the ship?)


random facts -
- Tim's other half Helena Bonham Carter doesn't appear in this movie.
- However Tim's girlfriend at the time Lisa Marie DOES appear in this film.
- Jack Nicholson plays more than one character
- Jack Nicholson is a scary scary man!
- This was the first movie on DVD to feature sound on the menu
- SJP's dog actually belonged to Lisa Marie!