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The Invasion
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Effective, frequently exciting remake of the 1950s science fiction classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," centers on a Washington-based psychiatrist (a tense Nicole Kidman) who, aided by her doctor boyfriend (Daniel Craig), must rescue her young son (Jackson Bond) from her ex-husband (Jeremy Northam), whose body -- like that of much of the populace -- has been taken over by alien forces. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel generates considerable suspense, and the pace rarely flags, despite some continuity flaws and a rather muddled political agenda that fails to better the "red scare" McCarthy subtext of the original. A few instances of crude words and profanity, intense action violence with some blood, killings, a vicious attack by a dog on a child, and brief female disrobing but no nudity. A-III -- adults (though it's acceptable for older adolescents). (PG-13) 2007
"The Invasion" (Warner Bros.) is an effective, frequently exciting second big-screen remake of the classic 1950s science fiction study of paranoia, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
Nicole Kidman plays Carol Bennell, a Washington-based psychiatrist, who begins to sense danger when her frightened patient, Wendy Lenk (Veronica Cartwright), confides that her husband is somehow "not her husband."
Carol eventually learns that alien forces are infiltrating the human population, gradually turning them into emotionless automatons (though anxious news reports speak only of a mysterious virus). Carol's ex-husband, Tucker (Jeremy Northam), the father of her young son, Oliver (Jackson Bond), is one of the first to be infected with the extraterrestrial slime. Once such victims succumb to sleep, their DNA is "reprogrammed."
When Carol's worried calls to Tucker about their son (who's with his father under visitation terms) go repeatedly unanswered, she drives to his house to reclaim the boy. Once there, she is menaced by Tucker and other shadowy figures.
She escapes, but only after Tucker spews the slime on her. Thereafter, if she falls asleep, she'll wake up in the same zombielike state as the others.
Walking through the streets of Washington, she must camouflage herself by remaining poker-faced, even when she observes horrific sights like a man falling from a rooftop.
After an exciting chase through the District of Columbia's subway system, she reaches her doctor boyfriend, Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), and his research colleague, Dr. Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright), who has, in record time, learned all there is to know about the DNA business.
Carol is soon on her own again trying to find the boy, who's now lodged with Tucker's already transformed mother (Joanna Merlin) in Baltimore. Carol pretends to be one of "them" but is able to flee with Oliver (who is still human, though pretending not to be, as a childhood illness has immunized him). From this point, the film becomes one heart-pounding chase after another.
Kidman maintains an unbroken air of anxiety and strong maternal devotion. Craig has relatively little to do but provide emotional support for Kidman, while Northam is suitably creepy.
Director Oliver Hirschbiegel generates considerable suspense, and the pace rarely flags, despite some continuity flaws and a rather muddled political agenda that fails to better the "red scare" McCarthy subtext of the original. Screenwriter Dave Kajganich -- adapting Jack Finney's serial story -- seems to have the peculiar conceit that as the population is thus transformed all the world's troubles seem to evaporate. We learn, for instance, that the U.S. is pulling its troops out of Iraq, but the film ultimately suggests it's better to be human, wars and all, than soulless puppets.
There are ponderous pronouncements, like "civilization crumbles when we need it most," and "we're all capable of the most terrible crimes," which aim to weigh the film with needless philosophical heft.
Still, as escapist entertainment, "The Invasion" holds its own very nicely with both the 1956 and 1978 versions.
The film contains a few instances of crude words and profanity, intense action violence with some blood, killings, a vicious attack by a dog on a child, and brief female disrobing but no nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults (though it's acceptable for older adolescents). The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.
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