10 Terrible Blockbusters That Wasted An Awesome Cast
10. Mars Attacks! (1996)
Tim Burton's $80m sci-fi comedy has become something of a cult favorite in recent years, tackling an alien invasion story with tongue planted firmly in cheek. A tribute to the B-movies of the 1950's, Mars Attacks! never takes itself particularly seriously but the mix of broad humor, satire, black comedy, pop culture references and CGI spectacle result in a wildly uneven tone that only sporadically entertains. Ultimately, it suffers due to its own self-awareness and falls into many of the pitfalls of the terrible genre efforts the movie so lovingly attempts to poke fun at. Burton has always been a director that can attract a top-quality cast to his movies, and Mars Attacks! is no different. A mix of established talents and promising up-and-comers populate the ensemble, with scenery-chewing largely the order of the day. Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Anette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jack Black, Christina Applegate, Pam Grier and Natalie Portman all feature prominently amongst the sprawling cast. Ultimately, the final product turned out to be less than the sum of its parts and is nowhere near as entertaining as it should be given the premise, but the delirious set-pieces and game ensemble help make the madness a lot more watchable.
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