MARS ATTACKS!
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(WB)
Directed by Tim Burton
Written by Jonathan Gems
Cast Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce
Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Short, Jim Brown,
Pam Grier, Michael J. Fox, Danny DeVito, Lukas Haas,
Sylvia Sidney, Rod Steiger, Paul Winfield, Natalie
Portman, Tom Jones
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 107 minutes
Reviewed at Six Forks Station Cinemas, Raleigh, NC (30NOV96)
==
Tim Burton's new movie is strangely sedate, which is a polite way of saying that it's boring even though it's not supposed to be. His elaborate (but never engaging) sci-fi/monster/disaster-movie spoof, adapted from the vintage (and violent) trading card set, has two things going for it: fabulous art direction and the director's gleefully grotesque sense of humor. The latter, with its many playful sequences of torture and gore, is almost certain to be lost on the masses. Audiences may have cheered INDEPENDENCE DAY, but scenes of burning cattle and other crispy critters are sure to send them in the direction of other holiday movies. Obviously Mr. B. doesn't care. He appears willing to do almost anything for a sick laugh, including killing off most of his cast. Almost two-dozen stars appear in this one, from Jack Nicholson (in two roles) to Sara Jessica Parker to Jim Brown. Most of their characters are so boring, though, that you won't even mind when they're turned into toast. Ack ack ack ack!
Grade: B-
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC, USA, Earth legeros@pagesz.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w) I'm also on the Web! http://www.pagesz.net/~legeros/
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