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hollywood aliens of the past couple of decades have generally taken only two forms: fuzzy, benevolent pets á la "E.T." and horrible, deadly pests á la "Alien." The former must be communicated with; the latter can only be exterminated. The drama and suspense in this genre — most recently capitalized on in "Independence Day" — usually stems from the human characters' efforts to classify their aliens as furry friend or yucky foe.
Tim Burton's new "Mars Attacks!" can't get much mileage out of that dilemma; the title pretty much gives the game away. Yet Burton's junk-pop genius pulls a surprise out of this old hat nonetheless: His aliens, little green men with pumped-up frontal lobes, are malicious, but in a cuddly kind of way. Their malevolence carries a childish whimsy that makes them lovable even as they're blowing away an Earth-ful of craven human beings.
NEXT: Little green party men
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