Review of The Invasion (2007) by Galyn H — 09 Aug 2009

So here we have another remake I guess. Sort of a newer take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers which possibly began one of the most overused sci fi tropes the "assimilating virus" as I call it. It's not always a virus, sometimes it's a parasite or technology which effectively changes a persons psychology(28 Days Later) or physiology(Halo, Dead Space, The Thing etc.) And it can be really scary. Something can be spread through the air or water and change who you and your acquaintances are. In The Invasion, it turns the people into emotionless shells...not that scary if you think about it.

Yes, this movie is supposed to be a horror movie but it falls pretty short. Just like its antagonists, I found it lacking in personality. There's nothing really interesting about camera setups and there's no subtlety in this movie. Ironic considering the assimilated people should be all about the buildup. They even use dumb, quick cuts with a stupid scary sound effect in it. Y'know, just like every bad PG-13 horror movie of the last decade. I'd do a list, but there's just too many to mention. It's practically a trope in itself. People aren't scary monsters.

There was one thing that scared me. The main character(I don't know her name but she was played by Nicole Kidman)is infected with the virus, but it will not take effect unless she enters REM sleep. That's a scary thought. It's like Nightmare on Elm Street. You have to sleep sometime. But thanks to a shot of what I believe is epinephrine, she doesn't need to. A scene of her running from the assimilated while falling asleep could have been quite scary. But there's enough chase scenes in this anyway.

Before I forget, student drivers should watch this movie. They will learn to never, never drive a car in reverse without looking. I believe every single car driven by a main character is wrecked in that way.

Watch The Thing instead.