Some of his more heartfelt moments have been found in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. The tone of Mars Attacks! feels like Burton pulling a mean prank on an undeserving victim. Technically, the film is expertly made, especially the visual effects. The aliens are appropriately cartoonish and the action scenes are near-flawless. The production values look big budget while simultaneously maintaining a low-budget B-movie appeal. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems, however, is part of the problem with Mars Attacks! The material should be aware that it is paying homage, with little winks at the audience, but it is without that self-aware humor. It's almost as if Burton and crew have never actually sat down and watched the genre that it wants to emulate. An awkward flirtation between the heads of two characters is supposed to be funny?