Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Nice Steelbook. I'll take it!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 13, 2026

Available alongside their standard 4K edition, Warner Bros. also offers this terrific Limited Edition 4K Steelbook of Tim Burton's 1996 sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks. On-disc contents are exactly the same on both versions (which means no Blu-ray copy of the film either way), so this one's a cosmetic upgrade only. But it's a great one!

I mean, look at that makeup!

For a plot synopsis and light appreciation of Mars Attacks, please see Kenneth Brown's review of the 2010 Blu-ray linked above. I'm in agreement that it's a mostly good time at the movies, even though there's really not much to the story, but the second half is the better of the two once all of the chaos and destruction begins to unfold. A little more spit and polish to the script would've made Mars Attacks truly special... but even as-is, there's still plenty to like about this bold, subversive, and occasionally pretty funny send-up of 50s sci-fi and Hollywood spectacles.

Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For details about the video quality, see my recent review of the standard 4K edition.

Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, my thoughts about the audio options on this disc can be found at the 4K review linked above.

Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The standard 4K edition features decent cast-heavy artwork, but this matte-finish Steelbook just might be one of the best packaging jobs in recent memory. Front and center is the seductive "human woman" (played by Lisa Marie, if you didn't know) whose creepy true identity is realized once that fake mask comes off -- it's part of the fun illusion created by this (mostly) clear outer slipcover, which takes its cues from several creative Lionsgate 4K Steelbooks like American Psycho. Beneath that lovely visage is, of course, a creepy spot-gloss Martian with dozens of "ACK! ACK" quotes behind him, which is an especially nice touch, and another of his menacing friends can be found on the back cover too. Inside is a more traditional cast collage, and the disc sits in a hub on the right-hand side. Overall, this is a fantastic design job that nearly ties into one of the film's most memorable scenes so it earns high marks all around.

As for the extras, they're identical to the 4K edition.

Mars Attacks! 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The mischievous Martians in Tim Burton's Mars Attacks literally almost light the world on fire several times, and it's a shame that the film itself didn't do the same in theaters during the 1996 holiday season. (This really should have been a summer release, right?) Either way, it remains a pretty good time at the movies if you approach it as spectacle over story, as the subversive humor and intentionally campy atmosphere still play well enough 30 years later. Its potency may have even increased a little thanks to Warner Bros.' welcome new 4K UHD edition, which sports outstanding A/V merits and a few short but enjoyable new featurettes. This Limited Edition 4K Steelbook ups the ante with really terrific design elements that'll greatly appeal to fans of the film, so grab it while you can.