ust outside of Lockjaw, Kentucky, the smell of something being barbecued shocks the locals – especially when they discover that it comes from a herd of cattle getting set aflame then running through the streets. And a flying saucer seems to be the source of the fire. “Do we know they’re warships?” In Washington D.C., President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) receives a briefing by top astronautics professor Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan), top brass such as General Decker (Rod Steiger), and his press secretary Jerry Ross (Martin Short). It’s decided that extraterrestrial visitors are a good thing, and that the public will eat it up.

First Lady Marsha Dale (Glenn Close) prepares for the publicity, while her daughter Taffy (Natalie Portman) remains skeptical. Meanwhile, a host of other characters, from Las Vegas to New York to Kansas, go about their regular routines, unaware that the President will be making an emergency announcement about the alien presence. When he does, the world stops to digest the information; this is the arrival of a lifetime – and no one will remain the same after these grotesque, brainy-headed Martians’ reveal themselves. “Don’t forget, Nathalie. We will look equally gross to him.”

“We are entering the dawn of a new era.” Strangely, Nicholson takes on a second role as a not-so-well-disguised Vegas conman, which adds to the overall aura of weirdness, but seems entirely unnecessary considering the existing, massive ensemble cast, including Annette Bening, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Lukas Haas, Jim Brown, Paul Winfield, Pam Grier, and many more. Much smaller yet entirely recognizable roles courtesy of Jack Black, Joe Don Baker, Danny DeVito, and Christina Applegate, among others, also turn up; in the same way that numerous societal factions gain representation for their responses to the aliens, it’s as if celebrities from across the Hollywood spectrum enjoy small parts to join in on the fun of this loopy premise.

With direction by Tim Burton, this take on intergalactic company is far more comical than in “Independence Day” from the same year, though it likewise demonstrates a scenario of invasion and conquering – despite a curiously sensible approach, at least initially, as people concern themselves with realistic expectations on interactions. Violence and conflict abound, but the satire here is thick. Fear of abduction and experimentation play into the likelihood of communication complications and misunderstandings between species, as well as the notion of humans deserving the devastation aimed at them, the cathartic nature of obliterating politicians (and a typically ineffective government), and the ease of infiltration and destruction due to the incompetence of the people in charge. The film even has something to say about children playing too many video games. But undoubtedly, humankind is doomed if the usual diplomats get to make all the decisions. “We have to nuke them now!”

The look is also expectedly colorful, with plenty of high-contrast sets, costumes, and other imagery, which works nicely with the manageable but unconvincing computer graphics of the Martian spacecrafts (as if to ease the suspension of disbelief by presenting America as unusually bright and vivid). Far more appealing – or horrifying – are the creature designs (Lisa Marie as a statuesque killer is a highlight), though even these tend to rely heavily on 3D animation (the Martians and their tech are, oddly enough, based on a series of trading cards from the early ’60s). Shootouts and explosions are abundant, too, though frightening sequences are virtually nonexistent, as if “Mars Attacks!” is a counter to “The War of the Worlds,” opting for goofiness instead of scares. Amusingly, the solution is a mirthful twist on that aforementioned alien attacker classic. Unfortunately, even with a few decent laughs and unforgettable antagonists, the end result isn’t spectacular; it’s a unique sci-fi genre blend, recalling productions from a bygone era of schlockier monster movies, but it’s only moderately entertaining.

– Mike Massie