Popularity: 7 (history)
| Director: | Tim Burton |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Jonathan Gems |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 13, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Tim Burton |
| Writer: | Jonathan Gems |
| Genres: | Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction |
| Keywords | saving the world, total destruction, the white house, planet mars, usa president, cataclysm, laser gun, ambassador, congress, flying saucer, based on comic, parody, alien, dark comedy, creature, alien invasion, outer space, absurd |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures, Tim Burton Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $101,371,017
Budget: $70,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 25, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Jack Nicholson | President Dale / Art Land |
| Glenn Close | Marsha Dale |
| Annette Bening | Barbara Land |
| Pierce Brosnan | Donald Kessler |
| Danny DeVito | Rude Gambler |
| Martin Short | Jerry Ross |
| Sarah Jessica Parker | Nathalie Lake |
| Michael J. Fox | Jason Stone |
| Rod Steiger | General Decker |
| Tom Jones | Tom Jones |
| Lukas Haas | Richie Norris |
| Natalie Portman | Taffy Dale |
| Jim Brown | Byron Williams |
| Lisa Marie | Martian Girl |
| Sylvia Sidney | Grandma Norris |
| Paul Winfield | General Casey |
| Pam Grier | Louise Williams |
| Jack Black | Billy Glenn Norris |
| Janice Rivera | Cindy |
| Ray J | Cedric |
| Brandon Hammond | Neville |
| Joe Don Baker | Glenn Norris |
| O-Lan Jones | Sue Ann Norris |
| Christina Applegate | Sharona |
| Brian Haley | Mitch |
| Jerzy Skolimowski | Dr. Zeigler |
| Timi Prulhiere | Tour Guide |
| Barbet Schroeder | French President |
| Chi Hoang Cai | Mr. Lee |
| Tommy Bush | Hillbilly |
| Joseph Maher | Decorator |
| Gloria M. Malgarini | Nun #1 |
| Betty Bunch | Nun #2 |
| Gloria Hoffmann | Nun #3 |
| Willie Garson | Corporate Guy |
| John Roselius | GNN Boss |
| Michael Reilly Burke | GNN Reporter #1 |
| Valerie Wildman | GNN Reporter #2 |
| Richard Irving | GNN Reporter #3 |
| Jonathan Emerson | Newscaster |
| Tamara 'Gingir' Curry | Hooker #1 |
| Rebecca Broussard | Hooker #2 |
| Vinny Argiro | Casino Manager |
| Steve Valentine | TV Director |
| Coco Leigh | Female Journalist |
| Jeffrey King | NASA Tech |
| Enrique Castillo | Hispanic Colonel |
| Don LaMoth | Colonel #2 |
| C. Wayne Owens | Stranger #1 |
| Joseph Moynihan | Stranger #2 |
| Roger Peterson | Colonel |
| John Finnegan | Speaker of the House |
| Ed Lambert | Morose Old Guy |
| John Gray | Incredibly Old Guy |
| Gregg Daniel | Lab Technician |
| J. Kenneth Campbell | Doctor #1 |
| Jeanne Mori | Doctor #2 |
| Rance Howard | Texan Investor |
| Richard Assad | Saudi Investor |
| Velletta Carlson | Elderly Woman Playing Slots |
| Kevin Mangan | Trailer Lover |
| Rebeca Silva | Hispanic Woman |
| Josh Philip Weinstein | Hippie |
| Julian Barnes | White House Waiter |
| Ken Thomas | White House Photographer |
| Darelle Porter Holden | Tom Jones Backup Singer |
| Christi Black | Tom Jones Backup Singer |
| Sharon Hendrix | Tom Jones Backup Singer |
| Frank Welker | Various Martians (voice) |
| Heidi Miller | Extra (uncredited) |
| JoAnn Bush | Cleopatra Cocktail Waitress (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Patricia M. Peters | Stunts |
| Thomas Rosales Jr. | Stunts |
| Dana Dru Evenson | Stunts |
| Charlie Picerni | Stunts |
| Erik Stabenau | Stunts |
| Darrin Prescott | Stunts |
| Corey Michael Eubanks | Stunts |
| Dick Hancock | Stunts |
| Danny Elfman | Original Music Composer |
| Peter Suschitzky | Director of Photography |
| Chris Lebenzon | Editor |
| Matthew Barry | Casting |
| Wynn Thomas | Production Design |
| Colleen Atwood | Costume Design |
| Ve Neill | Makeup Artist |
| George Fisher | Stunts |
| Richard Hymns | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Randy Thom | Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Designer |
| Michael Silvers | Supervising ADR Editor |
| Steve Boeddeker | Assistant Sound Designer |
| Gary Archer | Prosthetics |
| Kyle Balda | Animation |
| Victoria Thomas | Casting |
| Joey Box | Stunts |
| Jimmy Ortega | Stunts |
| Paul Bernard | Second Second Assistant Director |
| Julie Hewett | Makeup Artist |
| Alan Tuskes | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Thomas J. Mack | First Assistant Director |
| David Kelley | Second Assistant Director |
| C.C. Barnes | Second Second Assistant Director |
| Catherine Bond | Second Second Assistant Director |
| Paul Deason | Unit Production Manager |
| James Hegedus | Supervising Art Director |
| Barbara Lacy | Makeup Artist |
| Norma Lee | Hairstylist |
| Robin L. Neal | Makeup Artist |
| Candace Neal | Key Hair Stylist |
| Jeanne McCarthy | Casting |
| John Dexter | Art Direction |
| Nancy Haigh | Set Decoration |
| Jonathan Gems | Screenplay |
| Roger Huynh | VFX Artist |
| Ewa Sztompke | Dialogue Editor |
| Sara Bolder | Dialogue Editor |
| Jerry Moss | Property Master |
| Sandina Bailo-Lape | Foley Editor |
| Ken Fischer | Sound Effects Editor |
| Dennis Maitland | Production Sound Mixer |
| Gary Summers | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Shawn Murphy | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Janna Stern | Script Supervisor |
| Guy Williams | Digital Effects Supervisor |
| Colin Batty | Sculptor |
| Valli O'Reilly | Key Makeup Artist |
| Joy Zapata | Hairstylist |
| Michael Cassidy | Second Assistant Camera |
| Michael J. Coo | Key Grip |
| Ray De La Motte | Camera Operator |
| Alan R. Disler | First Assistant Camera |
| David Garden | Second Assistant Camera |
| Ian Kincaid | Chief Lighting Technician |
| Bruce W. Talamon | Still Photographer |
| Suzanne Trucks | Second Assistant Camera |
| Clyde E. Bryan | First Assistant Camera |
| Adam Lee Freeman | Driver |
| Tim Burton | Director |
| Frank E. Eulner | Sound Effects Editor |
| Steve Bloom | Assistant Editor |
| Daniel W. Barringer | Stunts |
| George Cheung | Stunts |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Larry Franco | Producer |
| Paul Deason | Associate Producer |
| Mark S. Miller | Associate Producer |
| Tim Burton | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 49 | 73 | 31 |
| 2024 | 5 | 60 | 73 | 43 |
| 2024 | 6 | 44 | 68 | 26 |
| 2024 | 7 | 40 | 59 | 24 |
| 2024 | 8 | 32 | 57 | 24 |
| 2024 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 22 |
| 2024 | 10 | 37 | 52 | 21 |
| 2024 | 11 | 32 | 55 | 22 |
| 2024 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 20 |
| 2025 | 1 | 33 | 58 | 22 |
| 2025 | 2 | 24 | 39 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 4 |
| 2025 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 2025 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 2025 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 2025 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 612 | 830 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 346 | 654 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 8 | 383 | 735 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 7 | 208 | 629 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 6 | 338 | 841 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 5 | 225 | 661 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 4 | 161 | 688 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 3 | 406 | 641 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 2 | 446 | 780 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2025 | 1 | 649 | 819 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
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| 2024 | 12 | 467 | 780 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 838 | 878 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | 682 | 819 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | 569 | 679 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 723 | 867 |
Good watch, could watch again, but it's hard to honestly recommend. This is one of those movies that is good because it is bad, whether or not that is done on purpose, for the purposes of parody. Otherwise it's just a good old jump in "The Way Back Machine" to see a litany of cameos or cheap par ... ts by almost anyone who was famous in the mid-1990s. Though I do feel like most of the actors I liked were essentially wasted, but it is possible that was by design so the Martians could keep the focus for the majority of the movie. Rethinking on the movie almost makes me want a modernization, it has so many little quirks and nuances that really brings it to a special experience. Even if you think it looks terrible, throw this on your queque and slot it in for a Bad Movie Night.
**A film full of black humor, and for that very reason difficult to digest for many people.** Black humor is doomed to be understood by very few, and this film, which is drenched in black humor from beginning to end, paid the price, becoming a minor failure. I believe that, even today, it is one ... of the less well-appreciated films of director Tim Burton's career, who made films considerably worse than this one. The action takes place in the 90s and portrays a hostile Martian invasion of our planet. The US government (obviously, the other countries have virtually disappeared from the map and only France is mentioned lightly to show the total destruction of the country) is understandably tense: there are military personnel sexually aroused by the idea of using nuclear weapons against the invaders, there are scientists absolutely convinced that Martian technological superiority is reason enough to believe strongly in the good intentions of the visitors, there are politicians worried about the elections. Of course, when it comes time to showdown, the visitors get the upper hand. Perhaps the best thing about this film is the strength and talent of its cast, filled with good actors who wanted to work under Burton's guidance. Jack Nicholson stands out naturally in the role of the president and does an interesting job, being well assisted by a discreet Glenn Close and a young Natalie Portman. Lisa Marie plays an unforgettable role where she doesn't have to say a single word, while Danny DeVito seems to revisit some previous characters to do his job here, which is little (but it's also true that he wasn't given much to do) . Tom Jones makes an interesting appearance. Pierce Brosnan looks like he's having fun while parodying himself. We also have good contributions from Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger and Jack Black. Besides, the film is a gigantic satire on the sci-fi B cinema of the 50s and 60s, where it was common to see martian invaders and visitors. The cinematography is colorful, light, and the environment is light, funny. You can feel that the film doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't want to be taken too seriously. So it works reasonably well, at least for those who accept dark humor well.