The Invasion

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Mystery & Suspense

It should have been a winning combination. Pair up one of Hollywood’s most popular and glamorous actresses with one of the hottest leading men today, and you’re supposed to have a guaranteed blockbuster, right? Well, “The Invasion” had Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig in the lead roles, but their box-office performance was somewhat disappointing.

The premise is simple enough. A remake of the classic 1956 horror film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, the 2007 version tells of alien parasites taking over humans through physical contact. That’s mostly done by disgusting acts like puking or sneezing on people, inoculation, or worse, puking on people’s drinks. Yes, those parts were probably the grosses parts of this film and director Oliver Hirschbiegel had the difficult job of trying to merge this old plot with the actors and a less than imaginative script. Unfortunately, it really comes across as just another “alien movie”.

Just as Kidman’s ex hubby Tom Cruise remade “War of the Worlds”, here she goes doing the same thing with “The Invasion”. To her credit, I actually found her film more enjoyable despite it having very little special effects. Jo and I were properly tense in the parts we were supposed to be, and the premise that the only way to be “turned” by the aliens once infected is by falling asleep keeps the anxiety level high. Kidman is still stunningly beautiful despite settling into more mother-like characters these days, while Craig (who got his gig as the new James Bond while shooting this film) shows the roughness that made “Casino Royale” such a success last year.

Why then did we feel that the film still fell flat on its face? It could be a number of reasons. Maybe because, although I never saw the previous “Invasion” flick or its remakes, this plot has been used numerous times since then. It could be that I was expecting more malevolence from the aliens, even just one like Jeremy Northam’s Tucker Kaufman character. Or it’s quite possible that this was really just a paper-thin plot that tried to masquerade itself into a blockbuster film.

Whatever it was, “The Invasion” is enjoyable if you want a decent thriller that will give you the creeps. This is particularly true in the scenes where the aliens are moving in emotionless groups, or when they’re puking left and right and trying to assimilate others. But do yourself a favor and just catch it on DVD. You can do better with the time and money you’ll be spending if you watch it in an actual cinema.