Movie Review - The Invasion (2008)

Okay, I have an interesting one for you; "The Invasion" (2008). Now, it is a remake of “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. This is considered the fourth version. The first came out in 1956 B&W. I’m sure for that time it was thrilling. Another version was later released in 1978 which resulted in the same story but with a few things added and changed. Then, Hollywood decided to reboot the film in 1993 which turned out to be mediocre and an unnecessary attempt to draw excitement. I wasn’t too impressed with that version. I’m not sure why they would choose to do so again BUT, this new version is decent. The premise is much the same but it was altered to a point where it could be its own fresh take.

This movie starts, and you’re immediately thrown directly into the action. For the first 5 minutes it seems that you are picking up in the middle of some sort of epidemic. You soon later find out that the beginning is more like around the end. The movie then proceeds to explain the whole story from the beginning.

So, I’m sure you may have seen one the versions, but the premise for this movie goes as follows: A space shuttle blows up upon entry thereby scattering pieces of the hull in various locations of the US. It is identified that the wreckage contains some alien type fungus that is not prone to high temperatures, meaning that it cannot die. People who came in contact with the wreckage are exposed to the virus fungus. The alien virus begins to re write DNA but this can only happen when sleeping. Once infected you are void of any feeling and are in a state of consciousness while being controlled by the alien; making it truly an invasion.

The film stars Nicole Kidman as the main character. She was alright; I don't care much for her. I won’t say she ruined it but thank goodness for supporting Daniel Craig (new 007) and he is always very good. There is lots of action, dialogue is decent, and effects are decent.

I didn’t feel like I was really watching a remake. This movie did keep my attention and in fact I rather liked this version. I rate it 7.5/10 and recommend viewing it.

Movie Review - The Wolfman (2010)

Thought I needed a good scare and with all that full moon shining so bright lately, I decided to pop in “The Wolfman” (2010) to watch. Yes, I will agree that that this is yet another werewolf themed movie but I have to add, it enlists the acting excellence of Sir Anthony Hopkins alongside Benecio del Toro.

The movie is predictable, apart from the obvious -a werewolf running amok in a small English village; there is a bit of a twist. Okay, so the movie begins with Lawrence Talbot (de Toro) coming back home to investigate his brother’s disappearance. While out asking questions, he is faced with a werewolf and ends up being bit. In addition, there is a love interest Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) who is his brother’s fiancée that also complicates things. Long story short, he ends up becoming a werewolf and finding out about his dark family secrets from his estranged father Sir John Talbot (Hopkins).

The story originates from a 1941 silent film of the same name but apparently the story has been greatly expanded. I haven't seen this film nor will I try to compare it to past interpretations of werewolf fantasy stories. I suppose you can say werewolf fiction is a timeless classical theme and can be made to fit any era or genre.

This movie was filmed dark; you just get that overall impression that in that point of time, life was not very happy. The music and the filming helped solidify the moods presented in each scene. To be more specific it reminded me of something that Tim Burton may produce. I found the movie to not be scary, sure the scenes of a werewolf tearing its claws was decent but by no means scary. There was some decent action overall and very good effects, especially with the change from man to wolf. to look for.

I do recommend seeing this movie. It was above average but nothing special. I’m a fan of horror and with classical themes of werewolves and vampires you can’t go wrong. I give this flick a rating of 7/10 but note it did have potential to be better.

Movie Review - The Crazies (2010)

Alright kiddies, I have a good one for you... I just finished watching the remake of “The Crazies” (2010). This movie was decent and I was happy to view it. I’m afraid to say it was better than the original 1973 movie (sorry Mr. Romero). This movie was directed by Breck Eisner, unknown to me but the highlight was that the credits listed George A. Romero as Executive Producer. It’s clear he had some intervention in making this movie great. In my opinion, it may not have faired so well if he had no involvement.

The story line follows much the same premise as the original; loose biological weapon virus on a small town and the military try to contain it. There was little guess work watching the movie but it still held much suspense and surprise. I kept thinking, what angle is being used and what elements would be evident from the original. I can safely say that this remake used the original 1973 as inspiration and was not a direct copy.

There were aspects of the original which were missing from this remake; for example, in the original there was a scientist who was trying desperately to find a cure. This movie did not explore that. There seemed to be less of a spin with military control compared to the original version and the remake places more focus on surviving towns people. The main characters are the town sheriff and his pregnant wife who is a doctor while the original was a firefighter and his wife a nurse. So yes, while it sounds close to the original film, there were enough differences that made it fresh. Even the ending was a bit different.

The make up and the special effects were fantastic. The gore was good for what it was, not over the top but was adequate. This movie was fast paced and kept my attention the whole time; I only wished that there was more. The acting and characterization were above average and everyone pulled their weight.

This is a good solid flick that could hold it’s own, you would never know it was a remake. Fantastic job overall ! I rate this movie 10/10 but note that I couldn’t find anything really wrong with it. This movie worked well and it showed.