Sidewalks On The Corner

The original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," created in 1956, was considered one the of the most frightening sci-fi / horror films of it's time. Then a 1978 remake starring Donald Sutherland sparked cult classic status and became another blockbuster. 1993 saw yet another movie remake called "Body Snatchers," which didn't receive good reviews from critics, who found fault with its plot. And now "THE INVASION" is the fourth remake to hit the big screen starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jeffrey Wright. In comparison to the '56 and '78 version, this one is no contest.

Follow up:

In the latest variation directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and produced by Joel Silver, a strange spore hitches a ride on a space shuttle that explodes before landing on Earth. CDC agent Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) is first on the scene, and as he investigates the situation, he comes into contact with a little girl holding a piece of the shuttle's plating. As the girl hands it to him as a gift, he examines the shutter’s plate and pricks his finger. From there a small epidemic begins. At first, the CDC claims a new virus is on the rise, and unless something is done to control, the world could face infections of pandemic proportions. In an encounter with her ex-husband Kaufman, psychiatrist Dr. Carol Bennell (Kidman) is startled by his change in behavior. She also notices the behavior of others around her started to change as well. With the help of Dr. Ben Driscoll (Craig) and his colleague Dr. Stephen Galeano (Wright), Carol learns that this isn't a virus, as we know it. It's an alien life force that is resistant to extreme hot and cold temperatures. The highly resilient being can alter human DNA to suit its needs. They also discover that the alien virus is taking over the world.

I'm going to cut right to the chase; "The Invasion" is a “paint by numbers” film with a convenient plot line, where events in the story happen very quickly. The plot was transparent enough to the point where you could practically predict what was going to happen. All of a sudden the ones who weren't infected automatically knew about the one who were and what their characteristics were. No explanation was given as to how they figured that out or even why. Some of the gotcha moments were pretty predictable as well, so there really wasn't anything left to be scared of. The actors were basically going through the motions. In fact, the acting is typical of what you would find in a horror film. When something scary is chasing you, you start running; when something dramatic scene came up, the actors reacted accordingly.

However, I give the film some credit for making the audience squirm a little, simply due to the slimy, snotty make-up EFX, and some of the cat and mouse chase scenes. Even the action had some people on edge for a very brief minute. In a film like this, one would expect the story to build up a little better than what it did … to build something intense. Instead, by the time the movie reached its climax, you felt cheated. The ending was shallow and gave an all too easy explanation for everything that transpired. If a filmmaker is going to make a strong political statement or bring up a sociological problem, they must do it with gusto. Make the film much more intense. The characters must have passion about what the script it saying and what the story is all about. The unfortunate thing about this version of "Invasion" is that it came off like a cheap knock off. If you're a fan of the original, my advice is to stick to the original. Those new to the "Body Snatcher" films altogether, my advice is you're better off renting the original then renting the remake down the line. Nice try by the filmmakers, but no cigar.