Mars Attacks The Cinema!

It's hard for me to believe it's been twenty-seven years since Tim Burton showed us how those pesky Martians might attack. 1996 seems so far away now, and given the changes in the modern world since then, even somewhat quaint. But Tim Burton was reaching even further back in time, to 1962 when Topps Cards delivered the delirious Mars Attacks bubble gum card set. In fact his movie Mars Attacks should have been delivered to audiences in glorious black and white, but that was never going to happen. (It would be fun for Burton to release a version in B&W.) 

The movie has its tongue firmly embedded in its cheek as it follows (mostly) the plot line detailed in the epic card set. Martians see Earth, come to Earth and proceed to conquer it with a ghastly array of weapons and methods. Some of these methods involve giant walking machines (H.G.Wells anyone?), flaming cows disintigrated soldiers, and hilarious saucer attacks on the monuments of Washinton DC, and other important sights around the aghast world. 

Mankind is at a loss to deal with the aliens, seeking at first to befriend them, but then realizing the true magnitude of the threat slow to deliver. Truth told, that doesn't sound like us, we'd likely do the opposite. The chittering aliens disintegrate folks to their little alien heart's content before their fatal weakness is uncovered by our doughty hero, a young mostly hapless chap who is warm but not terribly bright. 

A highlight of this show is Jim Brown who portrays an out of work boxer working in Las Vegas and who through thick and thin battles to save his family. Jack Nicholson holds down two roles, one as president of the United States and another as a Las Vegas wheeler dealer. The movie boasts a star-studded cast, and they do decent work. Tom Jones makes his movie acting debut in this one for instance to good effect. Pierce Brosnan is dandy as is a frenzied Rod Steiger as the one general who wants to attack the dang aliens. Lisa Marie is unforgettable as an alien assassin. 

The movie if anything is a little too absurdist too much of the time. I'd have liked to see among the humor a bit more real threat, but that's a small concern. Mars Attacks is an entertaining movie. But it should've been in B&W. 

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