“The Invasion” (Warner Brothers)
A Pale Imitation of the Original
In 1956 a well plotted, well acted little thriller was released titled “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It starred Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter and almost immediately became a cult classic. It was so popular it spawned a remake in 1978. The remake did not quite live up to the impact of the original. Now there has been a second remake. This time out it is titled “The Invasion” and this newest version is only a pale imitation of the original.
Nicole Kidman stars as psychiatrist Carol Bennell. She is divorced from Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) and has a young son Oliver (Jackson Bond). She also has a best friend named Ben (Daniel Craig). He has feelings for her but she wants to keep the relationship platonic.
A space shuttle crashes and burns while re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. Bits of the wreckage are strewn all across the country. People who come into contact with the wreckage develop strange personalities. It is unknown at first that this is happening but then it becomes almost epidemic. Carol becomes aware of it and learns her life and that of her son are in danger. Depending on Daniel for help she tries to find some safe haven away form these “body snatchers.”
The film has some truly suspenseful moments but overall it lacks the magic of the first and even the second film. Kidman is fine but there is never that sense of ominous panic that should be felt. Northam’s character should be the one to inspire the fear but he is more meddling than terrifying. And then there is poor Daniel Craig. He is a man without a role and a character without a clue. You expect him to break into full hero mode and it just never happens.
The show also tries to introduce politics into the adventure and that just slows it down. We need aliens hunting down people, not dinner parties with political discussions. In this incarnation of the movie they have done away with the pods and they are missed. They were one of the truly terrifying bits of the first film.
The film is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity. Maybe with this kind of movie an R rated adventure would have been better.
Just the thought of an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” remake was enough to build anticipation. Sadly what was delivered did not fulfill these expectations. Nicole Kidman did her best but the spotty execution of the plot let her and the audience down.
I scored “The Invasion” an alien 5 out of 10.
