The Invasion
Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review
By: The Dweeb
January 2008
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Sometime a film warrants an update, there are many fine examples of such films like say Oceans 11. But , The Invasion is just another retread of the classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers which already had a remake in 1978. The Invasion is essentially structured like any zombie flick and it leads to its predictable conclusion with a strong hint of political overtones in America. The main character Psychiatrist Dr Bennel (Nicole Kidman) starts to notice strange behaviors in people, figures out what’s going on and spends the rest of the movie getting chased. The only difference here is that the writers have injected modern day news events to make it more credible, and also decided to be in your face about the human condition. We’re a bunch of animals and it takes a space virus to make us all get along, in a strange unemotional way. Yes thank you for making me feel bad about myself! Stop the finger wagging Hollywood! You suck too. There I said it.
Anyway, as entertaining as it was to see a shrill Nicole Kidman running around, searching for her son, rebuffing Daniel Craig (sorry James Bond ain’t gettin any here my friend), shooting the occasional person it just got old real fast. I had another issue with the fact that Nicole was not a credible Psychiatrist to me. And what was with that scene with the car accident and she wanted to help the injured. “It’s OK I’m a doctor!” Oh come on how many times have we heard this line! So the point of the film was that she needed to stay awake or else she too would become one of them. Could she not have prescribed herself some speed instead of chugging Mountain Dew and other Pepsi products? Speaking of products, the film is full of them. Christ is this a movie or an ad?
Daniel Craig plays her wannabe boyfriend Dr. Ben Driscoll. Apparently he is attracted to the strong minded independent female who wants nothing to do with men. He spends the first half trying to stick his tongue down her throat with no results. He disappears for a while, comes back in and then tries to infect her. Well, she’s had enough and blows his knee off. That’s it. Done. Next we see him living with her at the end? So, are they a couple or not? By that time you’ll be looking at your watch anyway hoping for end credits.
Yeah, I will give director Oliver Hirschbiegel credit for creating a film that does at times make your skin crawl. But, if you are going to explore the topic of world peace by alien bacterial invasion why end it as suddenly as it started. They get picked up by a helicopter, apparently by Dr. Bens associate Dr. Stephen (Jeffrey Wright) who seems to all of a sudden be in charge now. And then bam its a year later and over? Kind of a let down.
Technically the DVD isn’t anything special either. This was clearly designed for the rental market as there are few bonus materials present. The only part worth watching is the lengthy but interesting We’ve Been Snatched Before piece which interviews various authorities on the subject of pandemics and the fear of the unknown that we love to exploit so much. The rest of it is short puff pieces that were used as promotional tools for the Reelz channel probably.
There are definitely other films in this genre that are far superior. Hey, how about the original remake instead?
Reviewer’s Opinion: BORROW IT!!
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