

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, "come in peace." U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians' mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.
Practical Effects
Puppet Martians with visible strings and zero apologies
Production
Alex Cox's original script mutated into Burton's candy-colored nihilism
Acting
Nicholson's dual role as president AND sleazy Vegas developer

Director
Tim Burton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Burton fought the studio to keep the puppets instead of CGI, making this the last major blockbuster with intentional 'bad' effects.
The original Topps trading card series from 1962 was so violent it sparked parental outrage and got discontinued — Burton considered that a feature, not a bug.