Mars Attacks! (1996)

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

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker

3 wins & 19 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	...	Tom Jones
Lukas Haas	...	Richie Norris
Natalie Portman	...	Taffy Dale
Jim Brown	...	Byron Williams
Lisa Marie	...	Martian Girl
Sylvia Sidney	...	Grandma Florence Norris

Storyline

It is a normal day for everyone, until President of the United States James Dale (Jack Nicholson) 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:

parody | sci fi spoof | unidentified flying object | death of animal | part animated | 

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Taglines:

YIKES! They've Landed!

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer/director Tim Burton pitched the idea of this movie to Warner Brothers by showing them the Topps trading cards that inspired the screenplay.

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Goofs

Richie brings home donuts to the trailer. His mother asks how old they are, to which he says, "Monday," and she retorts, "that's six days ago," making it Sunday - yet the opening scene says it is Thursday morning.

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Quotes

[Louise on the Metro Bus, notices her two sons named Cedric and Neville playing Flesh Eaters at the video game arcade]
Louise Williams: Excuse me, folks. We've got to make an unscheduled STOP!
[She stops the bus at the Video Game Arcade, Cedric and Neville looks at his mother]
Neville Williams: Oh, man! It's mama!
[she gets out of the bus, walking to his two sons, angry]
Louise Williams: What are you doing here, huh? If you ain't gonna come home, why aren't you in class? Huh?
[grabs Cedric]
Cedric Williams: Mama, because class was cancelled!
Louise Williams: Class was NOT cancelled!
Cedric Williams: Yes,...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Special effects: No living animals were barbecued during the production of this film.

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Alternate Versions

A television ad had Marsha Dale saying (over the desicion of what to do about the Martians): "Kick the crud out of them!" which was an edit to what she said in the theatrical version: "Kick the crap out of them!"

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 World Landmark Destruction Scenes in Movies (2016)

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Soundtracks

It's Not Unusual
Written by Gordon Mills and Les Reed
Performed by Tom Jones
Courtesy of Decca Record Company Limited Deram Records
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

A guilty pleasure that grows on you

When I first saw this in the theater with my granddaughter, we both found to be pretty lame and disappointing, but not without some wit to it. Since then, it's been on the cable channels multiple times, and I always find myself watching it again. I really hate to admit it, but this thing has really grown on me - so much so that I finally bought the DVD.

When I first saw it, I wouldn't have given it more than a 4 out of 10, but after repeated viewings, I now give it a 9. I can't really say why, and I certainly can't justify it in any rational sense, but it all just works for me. The wry wit, the blatant social and political commentary, I find it all immensely satisfying.

My confession's over, I'll do my penance. But I have to also say that my granddaughter's opinion of it has never wavered. She considers this movie as evidence of my incipient senility...

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mars Attacks!

Filming Locations:

Randy's Donuts - 805 W. Manchester Avenue, Inglewood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,384,272, 15 December 1996

Gross USA:

$37,771,017

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$101,371,017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tim Burton Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.40 : 1