In 1996, Independence Day became the highest grossing movie of the year, cementing Will Smith as a leading man, turned director Roland Emmerich into one of Hollywood’s top names, and solidifying the alien invasion movie as the ideal summer blockbuster spectacle. But another alien invasion film came out in 1996, one with the misfortune of showing up around 6 months after Independence Day. Mars Attacks! would be Tim Burton’s stab at destroying the world onscreen, and is the product of a lifelong love of extravagant sci-fi. Its recent arrival on Amazon Prime allows new viewers the chance to watch his most underrated movie.
