Mars Attacks! (1996)

The Earth is invaded by Martians with irresistible weapons and a cruel sense of humor.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Len Brown (trading card series), Woody Gelman (trading card series),

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan

2 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	President James Dale / Art Land
Glenn Close	...	First Lady Marsha Dale
Annette Bening	...	Barbara Land
Pierce Brosnan	...	Professor Donald Kessler
Danny DeVito	...	Rude Gambler
Martin Short	...	Press Secretary Jerry Ross
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Nathalie Lake
Michael J. Fox	...	Jason Stone
Rod Steiger	...	General Decker
Tom Jones	...	Himself
Jim Brown	...	Byron Williams
Lukas Haas	...	Richie Norris
Natalie Portman	...	Taffy Dale
Pam Grier	...	Louise Williams
Lisa Marie	...	Martian Girl

Storyline

It is a normal day for everyone, until the President of the United States announces Martians have been spotted circling Earth. The Martians land and a meeting is arranged, but not everything goes to plan, and the Martians seem to have other plans for Earth. Are they just misunderstood beings or do they really want to destroy all of humanity?

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Plot Keywords:

martian | general | alien | weapon | casino | 

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Taglines:

Nice planet. We'll take it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi fantasy violence and brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mars napada

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

ITL 608,192,000 (Italy) (7 March 1997)

Gross:

ITL 2,580,967,000 (Italy) (18 April 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tim Burton Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A real-life demolition in Las Vegas was filmed by Tim Burton, and incorporated into the movie. The casino was The Landmark, once owned by Howard Hughes. The location is now an expansion of the parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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Goofs

When Professor Donald Kessler and Jerry Ross enter the oval office to tell the President that the Martians have issued a formal apology, no ceiling is seen in the previous room (set).

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Quotes

Grandma Florence Norris: [as Taffy is giving her the Medal of Honor] Thank you, honey. But don't you dare let anything like this happen again.

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Crazy Credits

A flying saucer buzzes around the opening Warner Brothers logo.

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)"
Written by Rupert Holmes
Performed by Rupert Holmes
Courtesy of MCA Records
By Arrangement with MCA Special Markets and Products

User Reviews

The best movie of all time. Or maybe one of the worst.

This is one of these movies you absolutely like or absolutely dislike. I liked it, sure. It's such a sarcastic view of America: its people, its government, its army, its television, its culture, everything and everyone falls under Tim Burton's incredible axe. Many talented stars gather for an incredible script. It is unbelievably funny, absurd and full of contradictions and nuttiness. It's like a mixture of Star Wars, Animaniacs and the Clockwork Orange. For sure, you will like it a lot and believe it is the best movie you have ever seen or you won't understand a thing and feel disappointed. If you like Jim Carrey or Brad Pitt, please go and choose another movie.