Born from Trading Cards
The film was inspired by Topps' 1962 Mars Attacks trading-card series, famous for its lurid artwork and gruesome scenes of alien invasion.
Movie
Mars Attacks!
Nice planet. We'll take it!
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.
Why it's in the Vault
Mars Attacks! is a wonderfully eccentric throwback to the science-fiction invasion movies of the 1950s, filtered through Tim Burton's taste for grotesque comedy and gleeful destruction. Its enormous ensemble cast, bug-eyed Martians and deliberately ridiculous situations make it a memorable piece of 1990s pop culture. The episodic storytelling and relentless absurdity can become a little exhausting, while some digital effects show their age, but the film retains an unmistakable personality. A chaotic, mischievous cult curiosity that is often more entertaining for its outrageous ideas than for its story.
— Matty, Curator of the Vault
Atmosphere
Absurd, colorful, chaotic, macabre, retro
Absurd humor
Retro sci fi aesthetic
Satirical chaos
Macabre comedy
Contains frequent comic violence, ray-gun disintegrations, skeletons, deaths, destruction, frightening alien imagery, dark humor and some sexual innuendo.
Dans les coulisses
Ce qu'on ne voit pas à l'écran
The Martians Were Almost Puppets
Tim Burton originally planned to animate the aliens using stop-motion in homage to Ray Harryhausen, before budget and scheduling pressures led to computer-generated characters.
A Real Hotel Was Destroyed
The destruction of the Galaxy Hotel uses footage of the actual implosion of the Landmark Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Ack Ack!
The Martians' distinctive language grew from the repeated Ack sounds written into Jonathan Gems' screenplay.
Jack Nicholson Twice
Nicholson plays both President James Dale and Las Vegas developer Art Land, two characters who embody very different sides of American society.
Aux origines
Mars Attacks Trading Cards
A series of illustrated science-fiction trading cards depicting a violent Martian invasion, created from artwork and concepts associated with Wally Wood, Bob Powell and Norman Saunders.
Palette
Les couleurs du film
Martian Brain Pink#D97883
Martian Skin Green#72B64A
Death Ray Red#D63D48
Flying Saucer Silver#A5B5B3
Cosmic Purple#634D82
Desert Orange#D68B50
Images
Photogrammes
Collection
