The Sundarban
Filmmaker Tim Burton is vital for his signature gothic fright type, a blend of eerie, surreal worlds, macabre topics, and spindly, eccentric characters most frequently making his movies abruptly recognizable and favorites for many. Nevertheless Burton is no longer for all time a filmmaker who likes to follow one type.
Burton has directed, produced, and written motion pictures maintaining a fluctuate of genres over time. He is made us laugh with comedies love “Beetlejuice,” taken on the caped crusader in action flicks love “Batman,” pulled on our heartstrings in romantic dramas love “Big Fish,” made Halloween a Christmas staple with “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and even managed to adapt an award-winning musical for the expansive conceal with “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
Like many filmmakers, Burton’s motion pictures occupy seen varying ranges of field place of job and major success over time, however there is one type he’s particularly struggled to crack: sci-fi. Under, we gaze at Burton’s two expansive sci-fi flops — and what went grievous.
Mars Attacks
Launched in 1996, “Mars Attacks” is an alien invasion parody impressed by a situation of Topps sci-fi shopping and selling cards from 1962. Directed by Tim Burton, the depraved, gloomy sci-fi comedy aspects a huge name-studded ensemble, including A-list actors Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Shut, and Sarah Jessica Parker. On paper, it might perchance perchance possibly occupy to’ve been a success — in fact, it’s one of Burton’s greatest blockbuster flops. “Mars Attacks”‘ complete funds (manufacturing and marketing mixed) came to $100 million, $1 million much less than the $101 million the movie grossed in theaters. The movie modified into regarded as a field place of job bomb in the U.S., the place it handiest took in $37.8 million, and got mixed evaluations from critics on the time.
Some praised Burton’s references to tacky sci-fi B-motion pictures, with the Dallas Observer describing “Mars Attacks” as “the funniest piece of giddy schlock heartlessness ever committed to film.” Nevertheless, others did no longer salvage the movie quite as droll. The Contemporary York Cases panned the movie, calling it “more often weird than funny and most often just flat,” while The Washington Put up described it as “aimlessly plotted and blandly written.”
In 2026, “Mars Attacks” might perchance no longer be licensed “Fresh” on Wicked Tomatoes, which ability that of its 56% Tomatometer ranking, however the movie is now regarded as by some to be a misunderstood cult classic which ability that of its campy, quirky magnificent, over-the-top absurdity, cartoonish violence, and witty satire of politicians, the govt, and news media.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Pierre Boulle’s “Planet of the Apes” has seen diverse movie variations over time, from Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 silver conceal classic to the rebooted series starring Andy Serkis. Nevertheless, Tim Burton’s enjoy cease on the loved dystopian science fiction new is regarded as one of many worst. Launched in 2001, directed by Burton, “Planet of the Apes” stars Tag Wahlberg as an Air Power astronaut who atomize lands on a irregular planet the place evolved talking apes occupy enslaved humans. Like “Mars Attacks,” Burton’s remake of the conventional “Planet of the Apes” movie boasts a huge name-studded solid, including Tim Roth, Paul Giamatti, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michael Duncan Clarke. Nevertheless, no longer like Burton’s other sci-fi challenge, the sphere place of job wasn’t this movie’s greatest roar.
“Planet of the Apes” modified into a industrial success, taking in an (on the time) file-breaking $68.5 million on the sphere place of job one day of its opening weekend and grossing an whole of $180 million in North America. Nevertheless, critics had a mixed response to Burton’s remake. Roger Ebert known as the movie “great looking,” praising its sets, make-up earn, and Burton’s appreciate of the conventional 1968 movie, however said this modified into “not enough” to impress the movie memorable. The Wall Avenue Journal criticized the movie’s “clumsiness,” calling it a “disjointed botch.” Nevertheless, the San Francisco Chronicle described it as an “amazing display of imagination.”
In 2026, “Planet of the Apes” has a Tomatometer ranking of 42%, the 2nd-lowest ranking for a Burton movie on Wicked Tomatoes (2nd handiest to “Dark Shadows”), however no longer low sufficient to impress it one of many worst motion pictures of all time. Whereas Burton modified into reportedly pleased with how the movie became out, he told The Guardian in 2001 that he’d “rather jump out a window” than mumble a sequel. Ouch.
