The Invasion - Lacklustre Re-Make
 Mar 4th, 2008
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Recommendable:
No
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Member since:21.02.2007
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Review rated by 26 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Screenplay: Dave Kajganich
Novel: Jack Finney
Genre: Sci-Fi - Thriller
Country: USA
Certification: 15+
Language: English
Released: 25th February, 2008 (DVD) MAIN CAST:
Nicole Kidman (Carol Bennell)
Daniel Craig (Ben Driscoll)
Jeremy Northam (Tucker Kaufman)
Jackson Bond (Oliver)
Jeffrey Wright (Dr. Stephen Galeano)
Carol Bennell, a psychiatrist based in Washington, is intrigued, and worried, when one of her patients tells her that her husband is not her husband. Thinking that her client is suffering from a form of delusion due to the stress in her marriage, she prescribes medication and tells her client to come and see her again in a few days. Meanwhile, people are beginning to act strangely, including her ex-husband, who, after years of ignoring their son, decides that he wants shared custody. Upset, she delivers her son to her husband's home and turns to her part-time boyfriend for comfort.
As the days go by and the city becomes chaotic with people acting strangely, it becomes obvious that the strange ailment that people are suffering from is not the flu! Coming to the conclusion that the space shuttle that crashed upon re-entry days earlier must have been carrying with it an alien virus, and afraid for her son's safety, Carol attempts to bring him back home... but her ex-husband, who was one of the first to be contaminated by the alien virus, has other plans for her and her son.
As the population are gradually taken over by the alien virus and begin to mutate, Carol and her boyfriend discover that Carol's son, Oliver, is immune to the alien virus... For those who have seen 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956 & 1978) and 'Body Snatchers' (1993), you will be sorely disappointed with this movie because it is the 4th re-make of Finney's novel, and definitely the most bland and lacklustre of them all.
Regardless of a glowing cast, brilliant acting and a wholesome budget, the special-effects are basic, the setting is uninspiring, and there is absolutely no tension build-up or even a mildly interesting script. Some movies should NEVER be re-made. For some reason, the director and writers decided that the mutated humans would not scream - those who have seen the 'Body Snatchers' movies will remember that the mutated humans, upon seeing an uninfected human, would open their mouths and emit an eerie siren-like scream. 'The Invasion' lacks the sinister atmosphere of its predecessors, that eeriness that made 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' such a gripping and widely acclaimed movie.
'The Invasion' is a yawn-inducing disappointment. Don't be tempted by Nicole Kidman's presence in the movie - it's obvious that the director and writer were all too aware that they were creating a re-make monstrosity, which is why they went after Nicole. Big names sell movies. I just can't help but wonder why Nicole Kidman would have accepted to taint her excellent reputation by accepting a role in this movie. Unfortunately those, who like me, were accustomed to purchasing movies simply because Nicole was in it, will be more wary in the future.
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by (12%):
04.03.2008 16:26
Well-written, concise, good points made! Definitely not for me.
04.03.2008 16:14
Great Review! Dont think this is one i would enjoy watching x