After a first contact meeting in the Nevada desert between the U.S. President's science aides and the Ambassador of Mars doesn't go well, the President and his advisers suddenly find Earth at war with the intergalactic creatures. Rarely has a modern movie collected such an eclectic group of actors in one place. This is, of course, a testimony to the reputation of director Tim Burton, but Burton doesn't set up a very appealing showcase for his amazing cast. We're primed to laugh at who they are (their personas) rather than who they're playing (a bunch of idiots). Martian invasion movies from the 1950s were supposed to be scary but were instead funny and maybe a little campy--this one wants to be funny, but is instead condescending and mean-spirited. Usually, Burton's strengths as a filmmaker (eccentric bits of whimsy and character interaction) save the day; with "Mars Attacks!", he's coasting on shtick (pitched far too high) and relying on caricature-driven mayhem to carry the plot (concocted by screenwriter Jonathan Gems) and the players (willing stars, by the way, who were probably hoping for a slam-dunk). It doesn't work. Even the cartoon-derived violence is heavy-handed. NO STARS from ****
Review of Mars Attacks!
