The film Mars Attacks satirizes the United States government quite a lot in that they take singular elements that are prominent in most situations of the American society as well as films that replicate them same situations. Jack Nicholson’s character is extremely respected but honestly for no good reason. The plot pretty much mocks the fact that he is the president. The film uses him as a figure head rather than a person in control. He constantly is asking other people what to do such as the general and the Secretary of Press character and the professor of the university. Juxtaposed with the president of Independence day, he seems more into what would present him with the best photo option for the situation. The president of Independence Day is trying to find a way to fix the situation and find a way to defeat these creatures that are trying to kill his people. He cares when Jack Nicholson doesn’t. The General is mocked in that he is regarded as a person that constantly wants engage in war rather than holding back and seeing what the situation actually offers. He is loud and thinks everyone else’s plan is idiotic and stupid and his is the only plan that seems right. The professor is satirized in that he is shown smoking a pipe, the archetypal professor of that time period, and when he speaks, he tries to sound intelligent. He actually isn’t though. When he speaks though, he actually sounds unintelligent. He is the person that should know what is going on and should be able to give us some information on the topic of the martians but he fails. He talks matter-of-factly. Other characters that are satirized are the television reporters. Both of them, Sara Jessica Parkers and Micheal J Fox’s character take themselves too seriously. Sara Jessica Parker’s character is only worried about flirting with the professor, even when both of them are reduced to not much more than a head. Micheal J Fox’s character is just into his appearances rather than what he is actually reporting on. They are mocking the idea of reporters in that they are trying to say that the reporters of today don’t actually know what they are talking about. The movie in its entirety is a joke on the rest of movies in the science fiction genre and really does an excellent job in getting the message across that it is indeed a joke. 
Shelby Robertson
Natasha Martinez
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about the role of the president in your blog. In the film, it was quite humorous to see that the president of the United States is asking all his advisors of fellow military men what he should do instead of asking them for input. He has no idea what to do which makes him seem weak and ineffective. I think this is significant because the image of the president of the United States is that he is supposed to be strong armed and as always having a plan, but in this case the president has no idea what to do. Its actually the military guy who the president yells that who always has a laid out plan, yet he gets ridiculed for his want to go to war.