---
title: "Mars Attacks!"
year: 1996
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/mars-attacks"
fi1m_id: "mars-attacks"
imdb_id: "tt0116996"
tmdb_id: 75
wikidata_id: "Q271690"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-09-27T09:21:19.979967+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-27T09:21:42.328508+00:00"
region: "TR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Mars Attacks! (1996)

Directed by Tim Burton · 1h 46m · Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction

## Identity

Mars Attacks!

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/mars-attacks
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** mars-attacks
- **IMDb ID:** tt0116996
- **TMDB ID:** 75
- **Wikidata ID:** Q271690
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116996/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/75, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q271690

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 60 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* Every star in Hollywood and the only characters worth rooting for are the ones with the ray guns

> Tim Burton’s Martian invasion is the best-designed comedy of its decade and only about half as funny as it looks. The Martians are a joy; the humans, twelve of them famous, mostly wait around to be vaporised.

## Synopsis

Telescopes pick up a fleet of flying saucers leaving Mars, and in the White House President Dale (Jack Nicholson) must decide what to do about them. Scientist Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan) assures him that a civilisation this advanced must be peaceful; General Decker (Rod Steiger) wants them bombed at once. His wife Marsha Dale (Glenn Close) worries about the furniture and his daughter Taffy (Natalie Portman) is bored by the lot of them. In Las Vegas, developer Art Land (Nicholson again) plans a hotel while his wife Barbara (Annette Bening) meditates. A saucer sets down in the Nevada desert, a translation machine announces that the Martians come in peace, and a hippie releases a dove.

## Review

Tim Burton follows [*Ed Wood*](https://film.one/film/ed-wood) with a film that has the same affection for cheap 1950s science fiction and a great deal more money to spend on it. The film comes from a set of Topps trading cards, and it behaves like one: lots of small, lurid pictures of things going wrong, in no particular order. It is good-natured, superbly built and patchy. It is at its best whenever the Martians are on screen and at its slackest whenever they are not, and they are not on screen nearly enough.

The design is the reason to see it. Wynn Thomas gives the Martians saucers with lights that spin, ray guns that look like Christmas decorations, and a mothership interior of red glass and exposed brains in jars. The Martians themselves are computer-animated but move with the jerk and twitch of stop-motion, all skull and teeth and eyes too big for their sockets. Peter Suschitzky lights everything brightly and flatly, so the Oval Office looks like a set and the desert looks like a postcard, which is the joke. Colleen Atwood puts Close in a stiff red suit and Bening in floating white robes, and dresses the Kansas family in camouflage for a trip to the shops.

The Martians have the best manners in the film and the shortest tempers, and every scene they are in works. At the landing in the desert, a translation machine tells the crowd not to run because the visitors are friends, a hippie lets a dove go, and the Martians shoot it, then everyone else, then the translator repeats that they are friends. We laughed out loud, and then we looked at the floor for a moment, because a good deal of what we had just laughed at was people being turned into red and green skeletons. The Martians also giggle. Danny Elfman gives them a theme of wobbling theremin and marching brass that sounds like every film they might have escaped from, and it is his happiest score in years.

The trouble is the people. Jonathan Gems’s script gives each of them a single note and asks them to play it until the Martians arrive. Nicholson plays the President as a man who has never had a thought without checking it with a pollster, and Art Land as a Vegas developer under a wig, and he is amusing in both without being funny in either. Parker and Fox exist to be in a room when a saucer passes over. Short’s press secretary has one dirty joke. Steiger shouts. Portman gets the sharpest lines and about four minutes to say them. Brosnan is the best of the humans, pipe in hand, professorially certain and wrong about everything, and he plays it entirely straight, which is the only way.

The pacing is the other complaint. Chris Lebenzon cuts between Washington, Las Vegas, Kansas and a television studio for the first half hour, and none of the four strands gathers any speed before the film leaves it for another. It takes a long time to reach the desert. Once the invasion begins, the film becomes a run of sketches, most of them good, none of them building on the last, so that by the final stretch we were still smiling but no longer waiting for anything.

[*Independence Day*](https://film.one/film/independence-day), from the same year, asked us to cheer for humanity. This one asks us to enjoy watching humanity lose, and we did, right up until the film began to feel guilty about it and handed us a few people in Kansas to care for. Haas gives that strand the only warmth in the picture, and it sits oddly against everything around it.

Watch it with people who like their comedies mean and their spaceships shiny. It runs 106 minutes and carries a 12 certificate, and the Martians, at least, earn every one of them.

*Fi1m score 66, published 27 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are split down the middle, tilting slightly in the film’s favour. Most critics agree on where the pleasure lies: Burton’s design. The production design, the retro visual spirit and the effects, deliberately artificial yet convincing, draw praise even from those who do not enjoy the film as a whole. The cast comes next, with the panicked, over-the-top ensemble singled out and Pierce Brosnan named more than once as the comic standout. Danny Elfman’s score gets a mention.

The reservations cluster around pacing and laughs. Several reviews find the opening slow and the script slight, and one or two say the jokes do not land. The spread is wide, from four-star notices to firm rejections. The Los Angeles Times finds it less entertaining than it ought to be; Collider says it lacks soul; Eye for Film faults the ending. Two later reviews are of disc releases and spend as much time on the transfer as the film.

## Straight answers

**How long is Mars Attacks!, and what is it rated?**

*Mars Attacks!* runs 1h 46m. It is a comedy and fantasy film.

**Where can I watch Mars Attacks! in Türkiye?**

*Mars Attacks!* is not on any streaming or rental service in Türkiye at the moment. It is available in 34 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**What should I watch after Mars Attacks!?**

After *Mars Attacks!*, try [*Ed Wood*](https://film.one/film/ed-wood) (1994, Fi1m 84): Burton’s previous film loves the same bad science fiction, and this time it loves a person too. Then [*Independence Day*](https://film.one/film/independence-day) (1996, Fi1m 75): The straight-faced version of the same invasion, released the same year, for comparison; and [*Dr. Strangelove*](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb) (1964, Fi1m 93): The end of the world as comedy, with a president who cannot control his generals.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): Jones says the film takes time to find its pace but eventually becomes an entertaining science-fiction spoof. He singles out Pierce Brosnan’s comic performance for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ztfzvo/mars-attacks/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review finds the film entertaining and inventive, though its slow start and lack of engaging characters keep it from being great. It praises the astonishingly realistic effects and the ensemble cast’s panicked performances, while warning that Burton’s surreal style may leave some viewers cold. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/mars-attacks-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (3.5/5): Cole praises the film’s striking 4K presentation, finding that it enhances Burton’s colorful, chaotic sci-fi comedy. He singles out the vivid image detail and immersive Dolby Atmos sound, while noting the disc’s sparse extras. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/mars-attacks-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-tim-burton/)
- **Time Out**, TCh (70/100, inferred): The available description suggests a positive take on Burton’s sci-fi satire. It singles out the fun of rooting for the space invaders. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mars-attacks)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its verdict cannot be determined. The supplied text contains no specific praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mars-attacks-1996)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies a New York Times review of Tim Burton’s 1996 film. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/15/movies/mars-attacks.html)
- **Empire**, Mark Salisbury (60/100, inferred): The review finds the film uneven but ultimately deliriously entertaining. It praises Burton’s visual inventiveness while faulting the slow opening and slight script. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mars-attacks-review/)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (50/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film inventive and fascinating but often short on laughs, with limited appeal beyond sci-fi enthusiasts. He particularly praises the exceptional production design and the convincing, deliberately artificial effects. [Read](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/mars-attacks-1117436916/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the film less entertaining than it should be, despite its distinctive oddball sensibility. He praises its retro visual spirit but faults the humor and the limited impact of its many recognizable actors. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-13-ca-8507-story.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Carley Tauchert (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an enjoyable, if imperfect, B-movie homage and appreciates Burton’s effort while acknowledging its mass-market limitations. The over-the-top performances of its star-studded cast are singled out as a particular strength. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/revisiting-tim-burtons-mars-attacks/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (65/100, inferred): Lyus finds the film still funny and recommends revisiting it, though it has not aged as well as some contemporaries. He praises its production design and Danny Elfman’s score, while faulting the Blu-ray for having no special features. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/mars-attacks-blu-ray-review/)
- **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (35/100, inferred): The critic finds that Mars Attacks ultimately fails despite having plenty to recommend. He praises Pierce Brosnan’s comic performance but faults the film’s cluttered pacing and lack of soul. [Read](https://collider.com/mars-attacks-blu-ray-review-forbidden-planet-blu-ray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (35/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film a bold but ultimately disappointing attempt, weakened by poor pacing and a cop-out ending. She praises Burton’s visuals and playful design, as well as the strong cast and several entertaining scenes. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mars-attacks-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** Tim Burton
- **Director:** Tim Burton
- **Screenplay:** Jonathan Gems
- **Cinematography:** Peter Suschitzky
- **Editor:** Chris Lebenzon
- **Music:** Danny Elfman
- **Production design:** Wynn Thomas
- **Costume design:** Colleen Atwood
- **Producer:** Larry J. Franco, Tim Burton
- **Cast:** Jack Nicholson as President Dale / Art Land; Glenn Close as Marsha Dale; Annette Bening as Barbara Land; Pierce Brosnan as Donald Kessler; Danny DeVito as Rude Gambler; Martin Short as Jerry Ross; Sarah Jessica Parker as Nathalie Lake; Michael J. Fox as Jason Stone
- **Runtime:** 1h 46m
- **First release (Canada):** 13 December 1996
- **Genres:** Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- **Budget:** $70 million
- **Box office:** $101 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTxmxlxg90E

## Where to watch in Türkiye

Not streaming, renting or buying in Türkiye at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Ed Wood* (1994), Fi1m 84: Burton’s previous film loves the same bad science fiction, and this time it loves a person too — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ed-wood.md)
- *Independence Day* (1996), Fi1m 75: The straight-faced version of the same invasion, released the same year, for comparison — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/independence-day.md)
- *Earth vs. the Flying Saucers* (1956): The saucers Burton is quoting, tipping over Washington on a fraction of the budget
- *Dr. Strangelove* (1964), Fi1m 93: The end of the world as comedy, with a president who cannot control his generals — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb.md)
- *Starship Troopers* (1997), Fi1m 79: Verhoeven’s grinning satire of humans who deserve what the aliens give them — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/starship-troopers.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/mars-attacks