Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton, is a satirical science fiction dark comedy that premieres with a gleeful spectacle – a procession of gleaming, sinister, and colorful Martian spaceships descending upon major cities worldwide. The world is agog with trepidation as news spreads that the infamous and long-feared Martians, infamous for their alleged intentions of invasion, have finally made their presence known. These Martian explorers come from a utopian-like world in our galaxy, displaying gleeful, yet eerie traits. Their appearances are modeled after the iconic 1950s-1960s B-movie imagery of extraterrestrial beings, a feature that will continue to recur throughout the film. In hopes of forging a peaceful bond between two worlds, the chief Martian emissary makes the astonishing claim that their warships have come bearing gifts and kindness – and, true to style, one of the characters, Professor Donald Kessler (Jack Nicholson), eagerly leaps into public discussion with confidence that the foreign visitors aim for peaceful cultural exchange. In Washington D.C., inside the White House, U.S. President James Dale (Danny DeVito) receives word of both the American and international progress with one of the alien's communications. A moment of national anxiety arrives when the Martian leaders begin their dramatic display with the announcement of friendly gestures – music, song, or art. Amid the overall display of peace, a group of nervous Americans remain wary of the authenticity of the alien gestures. These include Colonel Donald Striker (Jim Brown), Chief Minister (Piers Brosnan), and a relatively new character in Jack Fang (Minnie Driver). They notice that the actions of the Martians have a very peculiar edge to them. Throughout the rest of the film, President Dale relies on Professor Kessler's reassurance of the peaceful intentions of the Martians. Consequently, while the United States and other developed countries extend a warm welcome to these 'potential friends', ominous alarm seems to grow upon U.S. General Decker's shoulders, reflecting ever-growing resentment in response to the extraterrestrial visitors. As with an uneasy feeling throughout his presidential term, tensions at the U.S. Congress rise as relations between the U.S. citizens and the Martians intensify while uncomprehending general distrust of the extraterrestrial visitors and 'who have come to aid America expands further than military might. In a particularly pivotal scene of humorously dark tension, when U.S. Congress unwittingly mocks the United States military chief and allows the Martian greeting gifts to be exchanged as a token of peace, the latter result in all but the removal of the gathering of patriotic public servants. As U.S. President James finds himself no longer able to trust Professor Kessler's scientific viewpoints and receives reports from Colonel Striker about the sudden unexpected assault that stunned public and politicians alike, an entirely new atmosphere forms. The change sends shockwaves worldwide due to how it once sparked fears about widespread world-wide devastation and disintegration at that time. Military leaders declare a high alert condition to be taken by U.S. forces and demand global involvement in nuclear response on the expectation that the Earth and its occupants will undergo unrelenting nuclear assault by a hostile alien power.