The Invasion

Saturday night we decided to take in dinner and a movie with some friends. We decided to see The Invasion. Don't ask us why, just accept it. This remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Nicole Kidman as a very pale skinned psychiatrist who discovers, with the help of her British doctor boyfriend (played by Daniel Craig), that the bodies and minds of the people around them are being taken over by aliens. She must rescue her son from her estranged husband, who of course has already become inhabited by the invaders. So, what did we think?

SoulTrain
I don't get Nicole Kidman anymore. Maybe she was always like this and I'm just noticing now, but she seems too... bubbly or something to play these parts. I have a hard time taking her seriously anymore. Maybe it's just the aftereffects of Bewitched. In The Invasion she seems very out of place. Of course, since she's one of only a few people who are not inhabited by aliens maybe that was the point. Either way, the movie seems too disjointed. There are long periods of build up with short bits of payoff, and it never felt like they had really decided if it should be a serious psych thriller or a campy zombie flick. They should have picked one, as it had potential on both counts. Daniel Craig's character was confusing (through no fault of his own). I was very unclear for most of the movie as to the relationship he had with Nicole Kidman's character. Additionally a number of cuts and flashbacks were used in a very confusing way, and as a result I had a hard time staying interested.

The biggest problem I had, though, was the overt preachiness of this movie. There are several very blatant bits where the film refers to the possibility that the removal of humanity's indiviuality would eliminate war (specifically the ongoing war and tension in our current world). Some of the "background" news reports hit on this so hard that they are written in the most unbelievable manner I can possibly imagine.

Bottom line, The Invasion was far too preachy and tries far too hard to shock us. I give it 2 out of 5.

SoulTrain's Wife

Well, SoulTrain basically said it all. I hate to say it, but I actually disliked this movie more than he did. I just found myself laughing when I wasn't supposed to be laughing, just at the absurdity of it all. And as for Nicole Kidman's "acting"...it just feels to me like they said...ok everyone, Ms. Kidman here is a tad discouraged that she still hasn't figured out how to act...that's why this Body Snatchers concept is the perfect cover...everyone just...act...bland. No facial expressions, as little movement as possible, do everything you can to make it seem like she's an acting dynamo. Oh, and please, please don't tease her that she hasn't figured out how to keep one consistent accent through an entire movie yet.

I really shouldn't be so harsh. I wasn't expecting much. I give it 1 out of 5.