As the fourth (so far) official adaptation of Jack Finney’s original novel, The Body Snatchers, 2007’s The Invasion is generally considered the worst of them. While certainly not a great film, it isn’t truly terrible either. I think the biggest problem is that two of the previous versions rank among the greatest sci-fi/horror movies ever made. With that kind historical baggage weighing it down, of course it’s gonna look shitty.
Additionally, director Oliver Hirschbiegel and screenwriter David Kajganich do themselves no favors by applying radical changes to the basic story…specifically, depicting the invasion in the form of a space virus rather than replicating pods. So the population is actually infected, not replaced, which severely dilutes the body horror elements that made the original concept effective.
Also missing is any sense of slow-building dread. Right from the get-go, the audience is made privy to what’s happening, and barely a half-hour has passed before we know how it spreads and that millions have already been infected. The remainder consists of protagonist Carol Bennell (Nichole Kidman) and Ben Driscoll (Daiel Craig) searching for her son while on-the-run from legions of infected. There’s an increasing emphasis on action over atmosphere as the film progresses, and it comes to a pat and lazy conclusion…at least compared to the 1956 and 1978 versions.
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| "Sorry...no I.D., no beer." |
But you know what? Odd as it may seem, if viewed as more of a ripoff than a remake, The Invasion isn’t without merit. As horror goes, a contagion (even from space) isn’t as ominous as pods spawning emotionless replicants, but it’s still kind of interesting on its own terms, especially as the implications - however briefly - grow more apocalyptic. The film also features several suspenseful sequences and exciting chase scenes…
…all of which has me believing The Invasion is probably best appreciated by viewers who’ve never seen any previous version of the story. While no lost classic worthy of critical reassessment, it remains a slick and fairly engaging sci-fi action film.
EXTRA KIBBLES
NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.
VISUAL ESSAYS - Body Snatchers and Beyond features film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, who discusses all four film adaptations of the novel; The Bug That’s Going Around features josh Nelson’s take on the so-called prophetic pre-pandemic aspects of the film, even going as far as drawing comparisons to Outbreak and Contagion.
FEATURETTES - We’ve Been Snatched Before is about how viral diseases are dealt with; Behind the Scenes consists of three promotional featurettes
AUDIO COMMENTARY - By podcasters Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West.
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