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For the 1996 special effects bonanza “Mars Attacks!,” director Tim Burton was brought onboard to adapt a series of pulp sci-fi trading cards from the 1960s published by Topps. The original trading cards showed a shockingly violent alien invasion of Earth by big-brained monsters from Mars, complete with giant robots, shrink rays, and burning flesh. The film may have eschewed the cards’ gritty tone, but kept their over-the-top spectacle, with a fleet of Martian saucers raining destruction from above.
When they’re first detected on their way to Earth though, biologist Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan) insists they must have peaceful intentions, and U.S. President Dale (Jack Nicholson) insists on welcoming their Martian neighbors as friends. But things go wrong right away when the Martian’s ambassador vaporizes the military envoy, sending Earth into a panic. This includes a brazen Las Vegas hotelier, an ex-boxer who is trying to reunite with his wife and kids, and a pair of news reporters covering the chaos.
A black comedy populated by offbeat characters, “Mars Attacks!” boasted an all-star cast that included Glenn Close, Natalie Portman, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Michael J. Fox, and Jack Nicholson in dual roles, as a Las Vegas casino magnate and as the President of the United States. Footballer Jim Brown and legendary crooner Tom Jones also made memorable appearances, but the movie is really all about its wild destruction and cynical look at humanity.
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