The Invasion
THE INVASION: POPCORN FILM TRYING TO MAKE A STATEMENT
A slightly above average popcorn flick, The Invasion has a high caliber cast that brings it up a notch. It is a thinly veiled comment on society, not unlike its original, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is emotion vs. rationale, with a story that is not new but still relevant.
Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) is a loving mother who works as a psychiatrist. Her ex-husband Tucker (Jeremy Northam) has decided he wants to be back in their son Oliver’s (Jackson Bond) life. Tucker is dealing with a space shuttle disaster that has crashed into Earth in a million pieces from Dallas, TX to Washington D.C.. The crash brings with it a virus that infects Tucker. As Carol sees everyone around her become void of emotion, she struggles to get Oliver back from his dad. She enlists the help of her friend Ben (Daniel Craig). Together along with Dr. Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright), they come to the realization that everyone is infected and they have to get out of town before they are quarantined. This is after they realize that Oliver carries the cure for the virus.
The story is a loose remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But it is not just a science fiction movie with aliens coming to attack It is making statements in regards to war, disease, and social change. Tension builds as Carol and company try to avoid being infected but the ending is anticlimactic. The story in engaging due to its two leads. Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig have charisma and the chemistry is there in spades. Jeremy Northam is creepy as the absent ex and dad turned alien. His eyes are soulless. The bile that the aliens emit on their victims is disgusting. Their pod-like state before transforming is filled with slime, exaggerated veins, and skin being shed. It is the standard in alien development.
This movie is about what the world is facing today but also tries to be a typical aliens attack film. The two aren’t combined well enough to satisfy both.
The Invasion would be nothing without its stars. It is a run of the mill world under attack movie that is hard to take seriously.
Report Card:
Story-C-
Acting-A
Visuals-C
Originality/Innovation-C-
Enjoyability Grade–B
DVD Extras-B
Overall Grade-C+ |
