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Mars Attacks!

Nice planet. We'll take it!

1996 · 106 min · Comedy
7.1 Modest
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Comedy Fantasy Science Fiction

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.

Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Year
1996
Studio
Warner Bros. Pictures · Tim Burton Productions

Trivia & behind the scenes

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Origins

Alex Cox tried to develop a Mars Attacks film in the 1980s for Orion and TriStar, writing three drafts before being replaced by Martin Amis, but the project was placed in turnaround before Tim Burton and Jonathan Gems began their own version in 1993.

Origins

Burton and Gems watched The Towering Inferno for inspiration, deciding to structure Mars Attacks! like a 1970s disaster film with an ensemble cast in the style of Irwin Allen.

Origins

Screenwriter Jonathan Gems was fired from the project after the studio repeatedly demanded he remove a cold-open sequence featuring burning cows, which he refused to cut; he recommended Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski as his replacements before later returning to the project.

Origins

The original script involved worldwide destruction across cities like Paris, London, Manhattan, China, Japan, and Russia, but budget concerns forced the writers to scale it down to only Paris, London, and the Taj Mahal alongside American locations.

Casting

Jack Nicholson jokingly said he wanted to play all the roles when approached for the part of the President, leading Burton to cast him in a dual role as both President Dale and Art Land.

Casting

Susan Sarandon was originally cast as Barbara Land before being replaced by Annette Bening, who modeled her performance on Ann-Margret's role in Viva Las Vegas.

Casting

Hugh Grant was the first choice to play Professor Donald Kessler, a role that ultimately went to Pierce Brosnan, while Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Stockard Channing were considered for First Lady Marsha Dale before Glenn Close was cast.

Casting

Roger L. Jackson provided the uncredited voice of the Martian translator device, and his performance in the film helped him land the audition for the role of Ghostface in the Scream franchise.

Effects

Burton originally planned to depict the Martians using stop-motion animation as an homage to Ray Harryhausen, hiring Barry Purves to lead an international team of about 70 animators who worked for eight months, but the approach was scrapped for computer animation by Industrial Light & Magic due to budget and time constraints.

Effects

Animators studied Gloria Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard for inspiration on how the Martians should move.

Effects

The destruction of Art Land's hotel used real footage of the nighttime demolition of the Landmark Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, a building Burton wanted to preserve on film.

Music

Composer Danny Elfman reunited with Burton on this film after a falling-out during The Nightmare Before Christmas had kept them from collaborating on Ed Wood.

Reception

Despite being considered a box-office bomb in the United States, Mars Attacks! performed better critically and commercially in Europe and has since become a cult classic.

Trivia

Due to his advancing Parkinson's disease, Mars Attacks! became Michael J. Fox's final live-action film role, aside from brief cameos and documentary appearances, as he shifted his focus mainly to voice-over work.

Memorable quotes

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They blew up Congress! [laughs]

Grandma Florence Norris Reacting to the destruction of Congress during the Martian invasion.

[After a Martian's head explodes] I think it must be my music!

Grandma Florence Norris After a Martian's head explodes unexpectedly.

We come in peace! We come in peace!

Martian Translator Device The Martians' deceptive greeting message.

Nice planet. We'll take it!

Tagline The Martians' ultimate plan for Earth.

I'll tell you one thing, they ain't gettin' the TV.

Sue Ann Norris Defending her possessions during the apocalypse.

I'm not a crook, I'm ambitious. There's a difference.

Art Land Explaining his criminal ambitions.

[Watching Martians massacre the Senate] Guess it wasn't the dove.

Taffy Dale Commenting on the Martian massacre of the Senate.

DIE, YOU ALIEN SHITHEAD! [Prepares to shoot, but a Martian notices him] Uh-oh. [Drops his gun and holds up a flag] I surrender! [The Martian disintegrates him with a ray gun]

Billy Glenn Norris Attempting to fight a Martian before surrendering.

We should nuke these assholes with everything we got, sir.

General Decker Proposing an immediate military response.

Wow, he just made the international sign of the donut.

Richie Norris Observing a Martian gesture.

You can't have Martians running all over Nevada!

General Decker Expressing concern about Martian presence.

We know they're extremely advanced technologically, which suggests - very rightfully so - that they're peaceful. An advanced civilization, by definition, is not barbaric.

Professor Donald Kessler Assuming advanced aliens must be peaceful.

[As the Martians disintegrate Congress] Mr. Ambassador, please! What are you doing? This doesn't make sense! It's not logical! It's not - [A Martian knocks Kessler unconscious]

Professor Donald Kessler Witnessing the Martians' destruction and confusion.

Screw the press! This is a need-to-know situation. We should make it a top secret, and we should move in right away with DefCon-4!

General Decker Recommending military secrecy and action.

[Pitching a hotel/casino idea] If the Martians land, they're gonna need a place to stay. Just like everybody else.

Art Land Pitching a business idea about Martian accommodations.

Even in a time of so-called intergalactic emergency, people still want to roooooll them bones!

Art Land Business opportunities during the emergency.

[Challenging a Martian to a fistfight] No weapons! No tricks! Just you and me! Byron Williams! The heavyweight champion of the world!

Byron Williams Challenging a Martian to hand-to-hand combat.

Don't run! We are your friends!

Martian Translator Device Another deceptive Martian message.

Richie, I think these guys are very sick.

Grandma Florence Norris Diagnosing the Martians' problems.

[About to get on the bus to leave for the Army, to his brother, Richie] So long, retard.

Billy Glenn Norris Saying goodbye to his brother before departure.

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