Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and terror.
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jackson Bond
A fresh and entertaining retelling of the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
The Invasion is the story of a mysterious epidemic that alters the behavior of human beings. Dr. Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) is a Washington D.C. psychiatrist who is one of the first to realize the strange behavior of the people around her. Then with some help from Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) and Dr. Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright) she discovers the epidemic’s origins are extraterrestrial and she must save her son, who may hold the key to stopping the invasion.
Todd’s Word: In case you missed it, this is actually the fourth “Invasion” film adaptation of Jack Finney's classic science fiction novel. But the story is still pretty solid and with Kidman and Craig in the lead roles, it is definitely worth watching. In fact throughout the film Kidman is both smart and vulnerable as the resilient heroine. And Daniel Craig does a great job of finding that balance between being too strong and too weak. He is neither overshadowing nor a weakling.
Jonathan’s Word: Craig’s a stud. I loved him as Bond. And yes, I really enjoyed this film too. Understand though, that it’s just a retelling of the same ol’ story. Not a lot of new stuff here. Just good film making.
Todd’s Word: I agree. It wasn’t a bad film by any means. But how many body snatchers movies do you have to make?
Jonathan’s Word: Yeah… and it was a typical showing us too much and showing us too little. They showed us a couple revealing shots of Nicole Kidman that we didn’t need to see (a shot of her in a t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination)… but they didn’t show us any shots of Daniel Craig without his shirt! What gives?
Todd’s Word: Uh… is there something you want to tell me?
Jonathan’s Word: Yeah… Daniel Craig has big muscles! I want muscles like that!
Todd’s Word: Anyway… I’m usually irritated by “news clips” scenes because they are either very cheesy complete with the over-the-top fake news desk or because they use real footage and tell a completely different story. But I have to say I found it very interesting how The Invasion used actual footage from the tragic Space Shuttle disaster as a backdrop.
Jonathan’s Word: Did I mention that Craig is a “He-man” stud?
Todd’s Word: I’m ignoring you now. Like the other Invasion films, this one has some political undertones of its own. Not only do the aliens stare blankly and don't sweat, they also want and bring about world peace. The most disturbing line is when Dr. Stephen Galeano says, “For better or worse, the human race is back.”
Jonathan’s Word: Okay, that was good. And that character was a friend of Daniel Craig’s character. Wow… Craig is really ripped!
Both: The Invasion is suspenseful and entertaining and while it may not make anyone’s top film list of 2008 it is a fun retelling of a 50-year-old story.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The Invasion contains some scary moments without relying on R-rated gore that most horror films use but would probably be too much for younger viewers. And expect a couple quick “gratuitous female body” shots… a commonplace today.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
