They’re out there and but they aren’t what they seem. You know what I’m talking about – Hollywood remakes – and another one hits our screens. And yet this one has already had three incarnations. So what is the latest version, THE INVASION, with Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jeremy Northam like? I have no idea because there have been no press screenings and the last time that happened was with AEON FLUX, which is rather ominous.
So, I went to see THE INVASION, and in the interests of impartial journalism I decided to go with an open mind, put aside any opinions I have about remakes, and watch the film on its own merits. The one thing I did keep in mind was the fact that this is an interpretation of a book rather than of the films that went beforehand. What was slightly disturbing was I was the only person in the cinema on a Saturday night. Admittedly it was the 23.30 session, but there were plenty of people buying tickets for the third instalment of RESIDENT EVIL, and remake or not THE INVASION had to be better than that, just because of its source material.
Apart from the empty cinema, the first thing I noticed in the beginning of the film was the Silver Pictures logo, which forewarned me of what to expect, and it did live up to its expectations of having lots of special effects and explosions.
Where the original version was looked upon as analogy for communism and McCarthyism, this time the emphasis seemed to be more religious in nature, with the aliens talking about universal peace and harmony. What was strange though was that while the aliens were trying to portray themselves as peace-loving and free from emotions they sure got aggressive with anyone that didn’t, or wouldn’t, succumb to them. This did remind me a lot of the way the Christian church behaved as it travelled to foreign lands, converting the “heathen savages” to the “love of god” – at the end of a sword or gun.
When I watch a film late at night I invariably nod off, but the pace of the film did manage to keep we awake, and not just the warnings throughout the film to not go to sleep. It’s not a great film, but it’s not bad either and certainly no worse than I, ROBOT. The cast do commendable job with the material, although with Nicole Kidman over-emoting at times there certainly was something to be said for the aliens’ state of being. I am guessing Clive Owen was busy when they did the casting because he would have been perfect in the Jeremy Northam role, without even having to stretch himself. As a movie in itself it is pretty much standard Hollywood sci-fi fare, but you can’t help thinking that it all looks so familiar and been done before.
The original is out now on DVD and reviewed here, along with a bit of a rant about remakes.
THE INVASION is out in cinemas from October 12. Watch the trailer. (Windows Media – Mac users download Filp4Mac)