Mars Attacks new 4K remaster is available now on 4K UHD Blu-ray, SteelBook and Collector’s Edition from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Synopsis
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.
Review
This year the brilliant Mars Attacks is turning 30 years-old. Hard to believe but for fans of Tim Burton’s hilarious satirical comedy it does mean one very exciting thing: the film is returning to home video with a brand new 4K remaster, available now on 4K UHD, Steelbook and Blu-ray. And the news from the frontline of the war with the Martians is positive, the film has never looked or sounded better!
The film was famously based on a series of Topps trading cards, adapting a motley crew of images and brief character moments into a fully fledged blockbuster which would go on to gross over $101M on a budget somewhere in the $80-100M range. A box office hit it was not. But a cult fan-favourite it sure was. At the time it was Burton’s most widespread use of visual effects, setting aside his traditionally practical filmmaking techniques so as to create a credible alien threat to humanity.
Audiences were sold based on its all-star cast which features Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, a young Natalie Portman, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, Lisa Marie, Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Christina Applegate and even Sir Tom Jones. Not to mention another legendary musical collaboration between Burton and long-time partner Danny Elfman.
I first saw Mars Attacks when it arrived on VHS and have followed the film onto DVD, Blu-ray and now 4K. Thankfully in the intervening years I’ve had the opportunity to see an original 35MM reel of the film screened at the cinema so can say I’ve seen the film in its original format. So coming into this new Steelbook set I was excited to see what a circa-2026 HDR remaster could do for the film.
Visuals
Mars Attacks was already a vibrant and colourful film when it arrived in cinemas. Whilst outdoor scenes in the desert featured very Earthy tones, those set on interior sets, in Las Vegas and on the Martian ships were incredibly dynamic in a classic Burton style. Bright greens and blues are frequently seen on screen alongside pops of red in costumes and makeup designs. Though less gothic than Batman ’89, Mars Attacks was instantly recognisable as Burton’s work but over the years its vibrancy had been lost to sub-par transfers.
The film’s 2010 release on Blu-ray was particularly criticised for draining the film of its vibrancy. Something Warner Bros. has clearly decided to rectify in this stunning new release. The film is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, fully preserving the image as it was originally seen in cinemas back in 1996. The new release features a full Dolby Vision HDR track which boosts the colour back to its original levels. It was most noticeable during the third act when Donald Kessler (Brosnan) and Nathalie (Parker) are captured aboard a Martian ship. The blue lighting of the ship interior reverberates from the screen but is cut through by the sharpness of Nathalie’s makeup and the chaos which ensues in the background as the ship crashes to Earth.
Given its use of early visual effects techniques Mars Attacks holds up well to scrutiny under a 2026 lens. Fine detail is present in all of the practical set design, costume design and makeup. The image never appears to be artificially sharpened to create extra detailing and consequently there is never any apparent crush on screen. The alien characters and their technology, almost entirely CGI throughout the film, also features an impressive level of detail for its time. There is panelling in the smooth metallic flying saucers and the Martian leader’s cloak appears as richly textured as the creatures ginormous brain-like heads.
Audio
Mars Attacks 4K debut arrives packing a Dolby Atmos mix alongside both 5.1 and 7.1 mixes. The new audio is delectably mixed, making use of all the available channels to immerse the audience in all of its chaos. During the Martian’s first landing on Earth, after misinterpreting the dove of peace as a sign of war the sound mixing is particularly impressive. It encapsulates all of the confusion and bombasticity of the scene with screams, explosions and alien “ack! ack! ack!” sounds appearing from every angle.
Particularly important for any Burton-directed film is where the score sits in the mix. Elfman’s theramin-heavy soundtrack sits perfectly in the mix, never dominating but always present and clearly defined against a very busy backdrop of dialogue and effects.
The clarity is what’s most impressive here. Prioritising dialogue towards the central channels, pushing action out fully into the wider arena with the aforementioned score sitting neatly underneath, tying the whole thing together. It’s the closest we’ve come to replicating the theatrical experience of Mars Attacks at home so I applaud Warner Bros. for their efforts here.
Bonus Features
The new 4K release arrives with just two bonus features although both are brand new to this release:
- NEW! Looking Back on Mars Attacks! (7:26) – A short retrospective piece featuring interview clips with several crew members who discuss their contribution to the film. Featured here are Jonathan Gems, editor Chris Lebenzon, director of photography Peter Suschitzky, visual effects supervisor Michael Fink, miniature DP Patrick Sweeney, and VFX supervisor David Andrews.
- NEW! Ack! Ack! Aesthetic (10:50) – The longer, second featurette puts the focus on the film’s production design and visual effects and features more interview clips from those involved with the process.
I picked up the film in its new Steelbook form. The cover itself features Lisa Marie’s alien form with her human mask featured on the mostly clear clip cover which goes over the top. Inside is a new group image of the cast, similar to that seen on the standard new Blu-ray and 4K cover. The packaging itself is great, well designed and evokes one of the most fan-favourite moments from the film itself.
Verdict
Mars Attacks has never looked or sounded better. The new 4K restoration has brought back all of the vibrancy in Tim Burton’s original theatrical release and partnered it with an impressively boisterous new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This is by far the film’s definitive home video presentation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
