3. Mars Attacks! (1996)
At the time of its release,
Mars Attack! took a fair few hits from the critics. But one could argue that Burton's adaptation of the popular trading card series looks far better in retrospective, given that it's one of the most bizarrely entertaining (and downright crazy) ensemble films of the '90s. The cast, which includes heavy hitters like Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. Fox, Jack Black and Natalie Portman, imbue their characters with a knowing goofiness and willingness to not take themselves seriously.
Mars Attacks! is witty, cheesy and gloriously unashamed of its kitsch value: so much so, that Burton chooses to end the flick with pop music megastar Tom Jones' belting out a rendition of "It's Not Unusual." That's to say, Burton knew exactly the kind of movie that he was making (schlock!), and though it's definitely not for some, there's no denying that
Mars Attacks! is definitely not skimping on the fun factor. You might even say that - all things considered - it's a relatively underrated gem. Or is that going too far?