Plot.
Poster of Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks!

1996 · Film · 106 min

  • Comedy
  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction

Plot

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, "come in peace." U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians' mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

About Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction black comedy film directed by Tim Burton, who also co-produced it with Larry J. Franco. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems was based on the Topps trading card series of the same name. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Jack Nicholson (in a dual role), Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Lukas Haas, Natalie Portman, Jim Brown, Lisa Marie, and Sylvia Sidney in her final film role. Alex Cox had tried to make a Mars Attacks film in the 1980s before Burton and Gems began development in 1993. When Gems turned in his first draft in 1994, Warner Bros. Pictures commissioned rewrites from Gems, Burton, and Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski in an attempt to lower the budget to $60 million. The final production budget came to $80 million, while Warner Bros. spent another $20 million on the Mars Attacks! marketing campaign. Filming took place from February to June 1996. The film was shot in California, Nevada, Kansas, Arizona, and Argentina. The filmmakers hired Industrial Light & Magic to create the Martians using computer animation after their previous plan to use stop motion supervised by Barry Purves fell through because of budget and time limitations. Mars Attacks! was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures in the…

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cast

  • Jack NicholsonPresident Dale / Art Land
  • Glenn CloseMarsha Dale
  • Annette BeningBarbara Land
  • Pierce BrosnanDonald Kessler
  • Danny DeVitoRude Gambler
  • Martin ShortJerry Ross
  • Sarah Jessica ParkerNathalie Lake
  • Michael J. FoxJason Stone
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